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Undisclosed Memo Elicits Strong Response From Watauga BOE Member, Hodges Contacts Attorney

Campbell, Eggers and Aceto (left to right) at at a prior meeting. Photo by Jesse Wood
Campbell, Eggers and Aceto (left to right) at at a prior meeting. Photo by Jesse Wood

By Jesse Wood

Nov. 5, 2013. Another Watauga County Board of Elections meeting that consisted of only routine business such as new registrations and the approval of absentee ballots on the agenda, isn’t so routine – as Monday’s meeting proved to be.  

In the middle of the meeting, Elections Director Jane Ann Hodges asked Chair Luke Eggers if she could hand a memo to Board Member Kathleen Campbell and Secretary Bill Aceto and then proceeded to hand out the memo.

Campbell immediately chimed in with the following response:  

“I’ve read a little of this, just a tiny bit, but I do not believe Luke that you are able on your own to make this kind of request because when I wrote to Don Wright about the last action, he said you were not allowed to do that on your own. He said you have to have the board as a whole not just yourself. I think this is absolutely reprehensible of you to be harassing Jane Ann like this. You seem like such a nice guy, then you turn around and do these dirty things and I know you didn’t write this and I know your brother wrote it. You should just think about, you have your own life to live, not his, and he is not a good role model for you to follow as far as I am concerned. This is just wrong and you need to quite harassing Jane Ann.”

Eggers then responded that since he considered this a personnel matter, he wouldn’t make any comments about the issue.

Aceto didn’t say a word on the matter.

After the meeting adjourned, Hodges nor any board members would release the document. Hodges said, however, that it was possible that she would consider releasing the memo to the press on Tuesday evening.

While remaining mum on the contents of the letter, Hodges did say that she had contacted an on the matter. 

Click here to read previous stories about the Watauga County Board of Elections.