Delgaudio Grand Jury Recommends State, County Changes

The investigation of Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling) is over, but many of the questions raised in the case could find their way onto Virginia General Assembly and Loudoun County Board of Supervisors agendas if the grand jury has its way.

The special prosecutor in the case, Arlington Commonwealth’s Attorney Theo Stamos, did not ask the grand jury to consider an indictment, the panel presumed in part, because there were not violations of law. However, the activities did prompt a series of recommendations grand jury members believe could “improve the Code of Virginia and Loudoun County policies.”

Despite the recommendations, Delgaudio, who was stripped of his committee assignments during the investigation, took the lack of indictments as redemption.

“I am thankful this long process is now over,” Delgaudio said in a prepared statement Monday by phone. “If there is a lesson here it is we should attempt to settle our political differences with civility and through debate, not by attempting to diminish one’s opponent by falsely accusing them of misconduct.”

Delgaudio also thank his wife and six children for their support, as well as his constituents.

He’ll likely seek consideration of his committee assignments, but not everyone viewed the report as positive news for Delgaudio.

"The lack of an indictment by the Special Prosecutor is by no means a vindication of Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio," the Loudoun County Democratic Committee stated in a press release Monday. "The Special Grand Jury investigating Supervisor Delgaudio was so disturbed by what it learned that it took the unprecedented step of issuing a report ... And the report is damning."

Delgaudio’s opponent in his most recent election, Al Nevarez, is involved with Sterling Deserves Better, a group that seeks to recall the supervisor, a maneuver considered a longshot in Virginia.

“This appalling process justifies our campaign to remove Eugene Delgaudio from office by petition from the citizens,” the group stated in a press release Monday.

Stevens Miller, the attorney representing Mateer, said they were reviewing the report and did not immediately comment.

Stamos, the special prosecutor, declined to weigh in specifically on Delgaudio’s activities, but praised the work of the grand jury.

“I think it’s an incredibly detailed report,” she said. “I couldn’t be more impressed with the work they did.”

Charles King, Delgaudio’s attorney, took the news that there would be no indictments as vindication.

"Since this investigation began, I have repeatedly said no charges would be filed against Supervisor Delgaudio,” King said. “Because I have believed from the onset Supervisor Delgaudio did nothing wrong, I wanted the most thorough investigation possible so the results could not be questioned.”

He also questioned whether the grand jury overstepped its bounds in the report.

“The emphasis of the Special Grand Jury’s report is on recommended ethics law changes,” King said. “By recommending so many legislative changes to the General Assembly, the grand jurors may have interpreted their task too broadly.”

So what did the report say? Check out our summary.