By Patrick Hurston
With the filing deadline past, West Virginia is officially in primary and mid-term season.
Recent statements by President Trump and several of his Cabinet members regarding the Epstein files and Second Amendment rights have dominated headlines in recent days, putting some Republicans in an awkward position and creating opportunities for their opponents.
Requests for comment from West Virginia’s Republican congressional delegation representing Hardy County on these two high-profile national controversies, federal immigration enforcement tactics and the delayed release of the Epstein investigation files, went unanswered last week, while several challengers stepped forward with detailed responses.
Media inquiries were sent to the offices of U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, and U.S. Rep. Riley Moore, asking where they stood on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) compliance with the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act and on the recent fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents.
The inquiries highlighted polling showing strong public support among Republicans for releasing all Epstein-related documents, noting that Congress had mandated their disclosure by Dec. 19. They also asked whether the officials supported current ICE and Border Patrol tactics and whether lawful gun ownership was being unfairly framed as a threat following comments by President Trump; DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; and FBI Director Kash Patel about Pretti’s concealed firearm.
None of the three offices responded.
The emails sent to Justice’s, Capito’s, and Moore’s offices highlighted the missed DOJ deadline and asked whether Congress should pursue oversight hearings or sanctions if the law was not fully followed. [Note: on Fri., Jan. 30 the DOJ released nearly 3.5 million additional pages from the files]
The lack of response comes amid growing scrutiny across the country, including West Virginia, of lawmakers avoiding town halls during congressional recess periods and limiting direct engagement with constituents.
While Justice, Capito and Moore did not reply to the Examiner’s emailed inquiries, Sen. Capito has spoken publicly in recent days about the situation in Minnesota.
In comments made on a press call, Capito said she found the videos and loss of life ‘very difficult to watch’ and expressed support for reforms such as requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and de-escalation training. Capito said she continues to support federal immigration enforcement generally but wants to see changes in how operations are conducted, and she has encouraged tone-down rhetoric around the incidents. She has not, however, directly answered questions about the legally carried firearm of Alex Pretti or whether DOJ should face oversight for missing the Epstein files deadline.
While Hardy County’s elected officeholders declined to comment, three challengers from both parties did respond, including one of Capito’s.
Janet McNulty, a Republican challenging Capito in the 2026 primary, said DOJ was not complying with the Epstein disclosure law, which required DOJ to release all of the files by Dec. 19, 2025, and supported oversight hearings to force accountability.
“Senator Capito owes an explanation for why she is not ensuring that the Epstein files are released in full compliance with the law,” McNulty wrote.
On the tactics used by ICE and the deaths of Minnesota residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti at the hands of federal agents, McNulty also said federal agencies should work with local authorities and independent investigators when fatal incidents occur and called for temporarily delaying ICE funding until spending transparency and training standards were addressed.
“As much as I want to ensure that we have Border Protection, I also believe we need to know where the money is going. Funding should be temporarily delayed for ICE until we get an itemization of how the money they are given is spent,” she wrote.
“Also, in light of recent events in Minnesota, funding should be delayed until we can ensure that all ICE agents are fully trained, that they understand the law, and that they know de-escalation techniques so as to avoid confrontation, and they need to ditch the masks.”
On gun rights, she said lawful concealed carry should not be treated as grounds for labeling citizens as threats or domestic terrorists.
Steven Wendelin, a Democrat running for Congress against Riley Moore agreed, saying the Justice Department had not complied with the Epstein transparency law “as written and they certainly are not following the spirit of the law,” arguing that releasing large volumes of documents weeks late without clear explanations for withheld material was not genuine transparency or “good-faith execution of Congress’s mandate.”
Congress, he said, “needs immediate oversight hearings with DOJ leadership, under oath, on why the statutory deadline was missed.” He also believes there must be public accounting of redactions and independent reviews of the department’s actions. “This is no longer a contempt of Congress issue; it is contempt of law by the one agency whose entire charter is to uphold the law.”
Wendelin also said Congressman Moore owed constituents an explanation for what steps were taken, if any, after DOJ missed the deadline, adding that voting for legislation without follow-through was insufficient oversight. “Leadership means staying engaged after the vote,” he said.
On federal immigration enforcement, Wendelin called for automatic independent and state-level investigations when federal agents kill civilians, saying public trust collapses when agencies investigate themselves.
He also said he opposes continued ICE funding without strict accountability conditions and rejected suggestions that lawful gun ownership should be treated as evidence of criminal intent. “Border and immigration enforcement must exist, but it must operate lawfully, competently, and with respect for civil rights,” he wrote.
On statements made by Administration officials that to some appeared to impinge on the rights of lawful gun owners, Wendelin said “Exercising a constitutional right does not make someone a criminal – or a terrorist. What we’re seeing nationally is a troubling contradiction.” He said statements by some Trump officials “undermines decades of claimed support for the Second Amendment and sets a dangerous precedent.”
Another Democratic challenger, Ace Parsi, echoed those concerns, saying he believed both parties were protecting powerful figures by failing to enforce full Epstein file disclosure.
“As a member of Congress, I would work for immediate release of those files whether they embarrassed powerful Republicans or Democrats,” Parsi wrote, criticizing what he described as a lack of independence from the White House among current officeholders.
Parsi wrote that he believes Moore owes an explanation to his constituents on the failure of the DOJ to release the Epstein files. “Riley Moore awaits the White House’s permission to represent first and act second. He’s entirely incapable of being an independent representative on not only this issue, but every issue.”
Parsi called for independent oversight of federal law enforcement actions and opposed continued funding for ICE without major reforms to transparency and accountability practices.
He also rejected administration claims that lawful concealed carry signaled violent intent, asking where government power should be limited if constitutional rights could be framed as threats. “More broadly, Second Amendment advocates have long had a distrust of a government that could grow too powerful. My question would be, ‘if this is not too powerful, where is the line?’”
Capito’s other challengers, including Democrats Rio Phillips and Zach Shrewsbury and Republicans David Purkey and Tom Willis, did not respond to requests for comment.
The filing period for West Virginia’s May 12, 2026, Primary Election ended Sat., Jan. 31 at midnight.
According to a press release from West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, as of the close of business on Wed., Feb. 4, a total of 2,661 candidates were already officially registered between his office, and the 55 county clerks’ offices. That total comprises 2,047 candidates who filed for county and municipal positions, and an additional 614 candidates who filed to run for state or federal offices.
