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Lawmaker Resigns From West Virginia House After Being Charged For His Role In U.S. Capitol Insurrection
By: Dave Mistich | WVPB
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WAYNE COUNTY, W.Va. (WVPB) — Derrick Evans, a newly elected West Virginia state lawmaker, has resigned before serving a single day in the West Virginia House of Delegates.
He submitted a one-sentence letter of resignation to the office of Gov. Jim Justice.
“I hereby resign as a member of the West Virginia House of Delegates, effectively immediately,” he wrote.
A spokesperson for the office of House Speaker Roger Hanshaw also provided a statement from Evans that accompanied the letter.
“The past few days have certainly been a difficult time for my family, colleagues and myself, so I feel it’s best at this point to resign my seat in the House and focus on my personal situation and those I love,” Evans said.
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and deeply regret any hurt, pain or embarrassment I may have caused my family, friends, constituents and fellow West Virginians. I hope this action I take today can remove any cloud of distraction from the state Legislature, so my colleagues can get to work in earnest building a brighter future for our state. And more importantly, I hope it helps to begin the healing process, so we can all move forward and come together as ‘One Nation, Under God.’”
On Friday, Evans was charged with entering a restricted area and disorderly conduct during the insurrection on the capitol.
Charging documents note that Evans was identified through video he live streamed on his Facebook page, as well as his voice in the video, which federal officials compared to a campaign video that Evans had earlier posted to the same page.
At one point in the video, Evans identifies himself as he made his way into the capitol building.
“We’re In! We’re In! Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!”
The Facebook page where Evans live-streamed his role in the insurrection has since been deleted, although copies of the video are widely available online.