House Republicans on Wednesday voted to vacate the seat of Joseph de Soto, a delegate-elect accused last month of threatening to harm and kill lawmakers. The decision will face a legal challenge from the state Democratic Party,

Gov.-elect Patrick Morrisey will have the opportunity to appoint someone to this newly vacant seat after he is inaugurated next week.

A West Virginia lawmaker who was charged with making terroristic threats wasn't permitted to take the oath of office required to serve in the Legislature.

Republican members of the West Virginia House of Delegates overwhelmingly supported a resolution to declare the seat of Delegate-Elect Joseph de Soto vacant due to recent charges of threatening fellow lawmakers making it impossible for him to take his oath of office in Charleston Wednesday.

Delegates voted to vacate a House seat won by a Berkeley County man now confined at his home on charges that he threatened people who would have been his legislative colleagues. Debate broke out on the House floor over whether the proper, constitutional procedure was being followed.

In one of the most chaotic developments in a state legislature in months, the West Virginia House of Delegates has vacated a seat of a newly-elected Republican state legislator — and due to a bizarre series of events,