The judge said she was told Stamper has joined the Middletown post so his recommendation now appeared legitimate. However Stamper didn’t follow the transfer rules, according to Hamilton Post Commander Dr. William Jones. In order to transfer he said Stamper would have had to notify the Hamilton post he wanted to transfer and Middletown would have had to send Jones transfer papers to sign.
“I have never seen a transfer paper and neither has anyone else. I don’t know what they’re trying to pull… that’s not the kind of silly game I play,” Jones said. “It makes all of us look like a bunch of damn fools is what it does.”
Neither Stamper nor Middletown Post Commander Don Melton would talk about the latest turn of events in what has been a flawed process from the get-go.
Suzette Price, service director for The American Legion — Department of Ohio, said they have no record of Stamper’s transfer and he is not eligible to be recommended by the Middletown post.
“If he’s not a member of the post I would think that recommendation would be invalid,” she said “Unless there is a post transfer form received by department headquarters confirming the transfer request prior to the recommendation letter, then technically the veteran belongs to whatever post is of record with national. At this time we do not have post transfer forms for any of the veterans mentioned.”
The judges on the common pleas court reappointed Stamper in December but Oney had to rescind the decision and ordered a do-over because the process was flawed. The Middletown post did not send any recommendations the first time. The second time around the membership of Hamilton Post 138 recommended Jude Haslinger, Tom Jeffers and Bill Harvey. Stamper was one of the six people nominated but did not make the final cut.
The West Chester Twp. Post recommended township trustee Lee Wong and fire fighter Paul Kreiner. Oney failed to tell the posts that three nominees — no more and no less — were required. The West Chester post has made their selection and told the judge they would be submitting them very soon.
Oney said she needs to consult with Gmoser to determine what her next move should be.
“They could say wash it clean again and do it over again,” she said. “That seems the longest way to do it, but hopefully we can get it done in a short period of time.”
When she does have all the recommendations in, she said she hopes to interview the candidates — something that wasn’t done the first time — and she alone will make the appointment. She said Gmoser advised she should not convene the entire court to vote, a practice that has been followed in the past.
The five-person commission oversees a $2 million budget used to help approximately 27,000 veterans. The board also decides whether vets who apply are eligible for emergency financial assistance, among a myriad of other services the office offers. The 60-day do-over deadline to get recommendations in was in early March , it’s unclear whether that date will be moved.
The current vet board members expressed concerns that a four-member board — Stamper’s last day was Jan. 15 — would mean tie votes and business would not be handled. However, Commissioner Lowell Stewart is expected to be absent from a couple meetings so the three commissioners should be able to take care of business.
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