Mark Scott

CHARLESTON – Mark Scott, the cabinet secretary for the Department of Administration, is resigning effective at the end of July, three months of short of three years in the role following his involvement in the Babydog mural and behind-the scenes involvement in GOP primary races.

According to sources who declined to be identified, Scott’s pending resignation comes after a meeting with Gov. Jim Justice last week. Scott and the Department of Administration did not return a request for comment.

When asked about Scott’s impending resignation Tuesday at an event in Wheeling, Justice provided few details behind the reasoning, alluding to possible ethical issues.

“A lot of this I don’t know all the particulars about, but there are some real issues surrounding Mark,” Justice said. “I think Mark has done a good job in many ways, but maybe he got out over his skis and there are some real issues there and everything – from self-interest versus self-serving interest.”

Justice appointed Scott as cabinet secretary for the Department of Administration effective Nov. 1, 2021, following the appointment of previous cabinet secretary Allan McVey as the West Virginia Insurance Commissioner. Mary Jane Pickens served as acting cabinet secretary until Scott’s appointment became effective.

Scott is a businessman from North Central West Virginia. At the time of his appointment, Scott served as president of the Randolph County Commission, serving on the commission from 2017 until his appointment to Justice’s cabinet. He was elected to the Elkins City Council in 2001. Scott spent most of his business career in insurance between 1989 and his retirement in 2021.

The Department of Administration oversees 16 different agencies and divisions that provide support services for other state departments and agencies. These include the Aviation Division, the Board of Risk and Insurance Management, the Consolidated Public Retirement Board, the Ethics Commission, the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Finance Division, the Fleet Management Division, the General Services Division, the Public Employees Grievance Board, the Office of Technology, the Division of Personnel, the Public Employees Insurance Agency, the Purchasing Division, and the Real Estate Division.

Scott came under scrutiny recently for being part of an ad-hoc committee of Governor’s Office officials who approved to inclusion of Babydog, Gov. Justice’s English bulldog, in one of four historical and allegorical murals in the upper rotunda of the State Capitol Building and dedicated on West Virginia Day on June 20.

The murals, depicting both historical and allegorical scenes from West Virginia’s past and culture, were based on the wishes of Cass Gilbert, the architect of the State Capitol Building in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Department of Arts, Culture and History (WVDACH) began looking for an artist for the project in 2010 after a vote by the Capitol Building Commission, but the project was scrapped due to lack of funding.

WVDACH Cabinet Secretary Randall Reid-Smith revived the project in 2021 but never again brought the project before the Capitol Building Commission. Scott’s Purchasing Division allowed WVDACH to go with a non-bid contract with Connecticut-based John Canning and Co. According to the contract, the project – including four more murals – will cost more than $509,000.

According to an October 2021 issue of The Buyers Network, a publication of the state Purchasing Division, the WVDACH was able to retain the services of John Canning and Co. without putting the contract out to bid, citing Section 9 of the Purchasing Division Procedures Handbook. Section 9 includes a section on the “impossible-to-bid list,” which includes items such as artwork and historical items.

The Governor’s Office released the artist renderings of the first four murals in April, but an ad hoc committee made up of Reid-Smith, Scott, two officials in the Governor’s Office, and the director of the State Museum recommended changes to the murals, including adding Babydog to the Seneca Rocks mural that showcases the state’s artisanal history, outdoor landmarks, and wildlife.

Attorney Harvey Peyton of the Nitro-based Peyton Law Firm and client Gregory S. Morris of Huntington are considering a lawsuit against WVDACH, the Capitol Building Commission, and other state agencies involved in the mural project and the lack of followed processes under state law.

While Scott served as cabinet secretary, he also served as chairman of Conservative Policy Action, a federal 527 super PAC that endorsed and spent money on behalf of several Republican candidates during the 2024 primaries leading up to May 14. Conservative Policy Action made the announcement of Scott’s chairmanship on Feb. 27 on its Facebook page.

“Mark’s alignment with the vision of making West Virginia great resonates with the objectives of Conservative Policy Action,” the social media post stated. “His wealth of experience, strategic acumen and commitment to the conservative cause will undoubtedly guide us toward even greater success in promoting and electing the RIGHT people for West Virginia.”

According to Conservative Policy Action’s July 15 quarterly report with the Federal Election Commission covering the months of April through June, the political action committee raised $227,337 calendar year-to-date, with $173,175 during the three-month reporting period.

Most of that came from Conservative Policy Solutions, doing business as Blueprint for Oklahoma’s Future ($106,500), connected to Matthew Parker, executive director of Conservative Policy Action. According to the organization’s website, Parker is a Weirton native who splits his time between Tulisa, Okla., and Triadelphia.

Much of Conservative Policy Solutions’ spending was on direct mail pieces supporting candidates it endorsed or opposing other candidates. One of the candidates the group supported was Kris Warner, the executive director of the state Economic Development Authority and the Republican candidate for Secretary of State to succeed his brother, current Secretary of State Mac Warner.

Conservative Policy Action spent more than $225,000 during the reporting period either supporting Kris Warner or opposing former Democrat-turned-Republican lawmaker Doug Skaff, one of three GOP secretary of state candidates that Kris Warner defeated in May.

Joselyn King contributed to this story.