State Auditor Signs Deeds for Sales to Office Employee

West Virginia Auditor Mark Hunt personally signed nine tax deeds for the sale of properties with delinquent taxes, according to a report by West Virginia Watch. The transactions involved the transfer of property to a company owned by Robert L. Johns, an employee of the auditor’s office. State law assigns the duty of signing such deeds to the deputy commissioner, making the auditor’s direct involvement a procedural deviation.

The report, published on Sunday, identified nine specific instances where Hunt’s signature appeared on the documents. Two of these sales appear to have occurred after a statutory deadline had expired. All nine properties were sold to the company controlled by Johns, who works within the auditor's administration.

Hunt stated that he assumed office in 2025 and inherited a department in disarray. He explained that he took it upon himself to issue deeds that had been delayed by the disorder in the previous administration. This explanation drew immediate pushback from state officials and party leaders.

Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, and chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, called for an immediate, independent state investigation on Monday morning. Pushkin noted that the deeds benefited a close personal friend who works in the auditor’s office. He also indicated that Johns’ wife has donated to Hunt’s campaigns.

Pushkin emphasized that government officials must follow procedures precisely when taking property from citizens. He stated that the property was taken and turned over to a friend and contributor of Hunt, which he described as incredibly concerning. While he acknowledged Hunt is owed due process, the core issue remains the adherence to proper process.

Del. Tristan Leavitt, R-Kanawha, called for Hunt’s immediate resignation. Leavitt argued that the question of who signed the deeds is secondary to whether it was legal to transfer the property at all. He pointed out that the law provides a specific window of time, or shot clock, for the auditor’s office to act. Leavitt said that window had ended before the deeds were signed.

Leavitt stated that Hunt personally signed all nine deeds, indicating he had personal knowledge of the transactions. He corroborated much of the West Virginia Watch findings on the state auditor’s own website. Leavitt described the situation as a clear violation of the law and suggested that if Hunt does not resign, the legislature has options, including impeachment.

State Attorney General JB McCuskey, who served as state auditor before Hunt, defended the workers in the Land Division of the State Auditor’s office on Monday evening. McCuskey told Metro News that claims the division was left in disarray do not match the facts of eight years of positive reform and success.

The state auditor’s office has faced scrutiny in recent months following reports of a federal investigation and the hiring of a sitting state senator as a contractor. The legislative branch now faces a complex oversight task due to Senate Bill 687, a 2024 law that shifted control of the legislative auditor’s office to the Speaker of the House of Delegates and the President of the Senate.

Pushkin noted that the legislature used to have its own auditors for this purpose, but Speaker Hanshaw and President Smith gutted that office. He stated that the legislative branch’s role is to perform oversight, a need he described as very urgent when the person supposed to be auditing is the one who needs to be audited.