EDA board gives McDonald a verbal endorsement through legal ‘ordeal’

At its monthly meeting on Friday, June 22, the Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority Board of Directors re-elected officers, and acknowledged the current legal situation swirling around its executive director.

As previously reported, on Wednesday, June 13, EDA Executive Director Jennifer McDonald was issued a misdemeanor warrant for filing a false police report regarding an alleged incident of vandalism at her home in Warren County.

We later contacted Vice-Chairman Bruce Drummond about his statement of support offered Friday morning, nine days after that warrant was issued.

“I said I supported Jennifer 100-percent – and then everyone else on the board chimed in.  I think she’s doing a great job.  And the fact that it took 363 days to file a misdemeanor charge – that’s ridiculous.”

The date of the alleged false police report was June 15, 2017; as stated above the date of the warrant charging McDonald with filing a false report to law enforcement was June 13, 2018.  The statute of limitations on filing a misdemeanor warrant is one year.

The now-disputed incident at McDonald’s home occurred just short of a month after a break-in was reported at the EDA office on Kendrick Lane in Front Royal.  That incident occurred on May 18, 2017.

Related to McDonald’s legal situation, a processing date hearing originally scheduled for Wednesday, June 27, in Warren County General District Court was rescheduled for Wednesday, June 20, due to availability of McDonald’s counsel.  According to the commonwealth’s attorney’s office a trial date of October 31 was set.

McDonald, who was not present for the initial hearing on the matter, was represented by local attorney David Crump.  Bryan Layton was present for the commonwealth.

As for Friday’s EDA officer appointments, on a motion by Gray Blanton, seconded by Thomas Pattison, the board unanimously reappointed Greg Drescher chairman, Drummond vice chairman, William Biggs treasurer, and Ron Llewellyn secretary.

In addition to Drescher, Drummond, Biggs and Llewellyn, the EDA board of directors is currently filled out by Blanton, Mark Baker and Thomas Pattison.

This reporter asked Chairman Drescher about Drummond’s endorsement of McDonald and the full board’s reaction.

“Bruce made a comment during the board director comment time about his support for Jennifer McDonald, and the rest of the board members agreed and confirmed that they also support Jennifer through this ordeal she is going through,” Drescher replied.

Perhaps coincidentally, the executive director’s annual performance evaluation was part of the scheduled closed session agenda on June 22.  And while there was no public comment on the evaluation, it would appear the above unanimous consensus on Drummond’s expression of support for McDonald might be a clue as to how that evaluation went.

According to the warrant issued by Virginia State Police Special Agent Eric Deel, McDonald is alleged to have described details of the vandalism incident to an unnamed person in the afternoon, about five hours before the incident involving a stone being thrown into her front door was reported to authorities.