CHRISTIANSBURG 鈥 Charges of election fraud against Blacksburg Town Councilman Liam Watson should be dismissed, his attorney argued Tuesday, because state police began an investigation before getting approval from Virginia鈥檚 attorney general.
Watson, 25, is charged with three counts of listing a false Blacksburg address in election paperwork to establish residency as a candidate, and then voting illegally in a November 2023 election that he won as a write-in candidate.
Watson
After a citizens鈥 complaint raised questions about a Milhurst Street home where Watson said he was living at the time, Montgomery County Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Mary Pettitt asked Virginia State Police to look into the case.
Under state law, an investigation of an elected official can only begin after it is authorized by the governor, the attorney general, or a grand jury. Pettitt asked state police to seek authorization from the attorney general, which they received in March of this year.
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The problem, defense attorney John Fishwick argued, is that the investigation actually began before it was officially approved 鈥 a violation of the law that should lead to the dismissal of felony charges against Watson.
After hearing arguments on that motion and others filed by the defense, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Robert Turk said he will issue a ruling in early February, when Watson鈥檚 jury trial was originally scheduled to begin. A new trial date would be scheduled later.
In opposing the motion to dismiss, Chief Deputy Commonwealth鈥檚 Attorney Patrick Jensen said it was necessary for a state police agent to conduct a preliminary inquiry to gather facts for the attorney general鈥檚 office to consider before deciding whether to authorize a formal investigation.
In July, a grand jury indicted Watson on charges that he made false statements on election documents when he listed 502 Milhurst St. as his home. 鈥淥ur evidence is he never set foot in that place,鈥 Jensen said during Tuesday鈥檚 hearing.
The rental property is owned by a company linked to Blacksburg Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith.
An anonymous complaint that was passed on the attorney general alleges that Watson conspired with Hager-Smith 鈥渢o create a false address to enable Mr. Watson to claim residence in the Town of Blacksburg for the purpose of running for Town Council,鈥 court records state.
Hager-Smith has not been charged. In August, she told The 色多多: 鈥淒id I know that he lived at the property? I can鈥檛 say I did.鈥 More recently, she has declined to comment.
Testimony Tuesday indicated that Watson was spending time at two other addresses in the months leading up to the election, one of them his parents鈥 home in Montgomery County and the other his former residence in Richmond.
Shortly after the charges were filed, Watson鈥檚 fellow council members asked him to take a leave of absence while the case is pending.
Watson declined, writing in a letter that 鈥淚 look forward to continuing my representation of the people of the Town of Blacksburg.鈥
