CHARLESTON (WV)
West Virginia Record
June 7, 2019
By Kyla Asbury
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey urged the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston to release its investigative report on former Bishop Michael Bransfield’s alleged misconduct.
Morrisey said it was important to disclose the report immediately.
“While we appreciate the fact that our investigation and lawsuit is causing the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese to disclose new improprieties about Bishop Bransfield, we believe it is imperative that the Diocese immediately disclose its investigative report about the Bishop,” Morrisey said. “It’s time to come clean and release the Bransfield report—and no longer hide pertinent information from our office and the public.”
Morrisey said much of the information being released by the Diocese would never have been released if his office hadn’t issued subpoenas, investigated and, ultimately, filed a lawsuit.
“The Diocese did not issue its list of initially 31, now 40, credibly accused priests until after issuance of our first subpoena in the fall of 2018, and today’s disclosure comes approximately two weeks after the filing of our amended complaint,” Morrisey said. “Now is the time for full disclosure. I repeat my call for the Diocese to stop fighting our efforts to get to the bottom of the sexual abuse scandal, come clean and end the secrecy – including release of the full Bransfield report.”
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