MARTINSVILLE, Va. – A special prosecutor has been appointed in Martinsville to investigate “serious allegations” of financial misconduct following a months-long city investigation.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Andy Hall said he made the request to avoid any potential conflicts of interest.
The investigation follows the firing of City Manager Aretha Ferrell-Benavides last month.
Later, the City Council voted to direct law firm Sands Anderson, which is acting as the city attorney, to turn over the findings of its investigation to Hall.
Hall told 10 News he has only received a heavily redacted version of the city’s report, making it hard to draw conclusions.
“What I’m concerned with is perhaps the evidence is slanted one way or the other,” Hall said. “It’s difficult for me to comment on the evidence without seeing it in whole, without seeing it placed in a proper context.”
Hall said his office worked to gather information from other sources, including a whistleblower mentioned in the report, who he said first came forward in January.
“There’s a number of state statutes that would address this: Conflict of Interest Act, protection for whistleblowers, and there’s allegations that both bodies of law have been violated in this instance, serious allegations in regard to that,” he said. “But again, it’s very difficult to speak to that without having a full picture. It’s almost irresponsible. It is irresponsible.”
We’ve reached out to Sands Anderson for comment and are awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, Ferrell-Benavides declined further comment Monday but said more on her side of the story would come out soon. In a statement after her firing in August, she defended her record in the office.
“Despite inheriting a financially unstable and structurally disorganized environment, my administration implemented reforms that restored operational stability, improved budget integrity, and prioritized staff development,” she said in a statement.
A council motion to release the report to the public failed Aug. 26 on a 2-2 vote. Mayor L.C. Jones abstained from the vote.