Former WV GOP Chair broke child’s confidentiality during Marion County trial, troopers say

FAIRMONT, W.Va. (WBOY) — The former West Virginia Republican Party Chair has been charged after allegedly breaking a child’s confidentiality during a trial in Marion County.

According to a criminal complaint filed by the Marion County detachment of the West Virginia State Police, on Oct. 23, troopers received information from the prosecutor’s office regarding a possible violation of West Virginia code during a trial.

Troopers learned that Elgine McArdle, 61, of Wheeling, had “disclosed protected information and did so in a public manner” … “on 13 separate occasions” during the trial for Ryan Lane, who was charged in the 2022 murder of Henry Silver, troopers said.

On Nov. 13, 2024, Marion County Circuit Judge David Janes entered a protective order for any disclosures of information or recordings that took place at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC); Marion County Circuit Judge Patrick Wilson also entered the same order on July 15, 2025, according to the complaint.

On Dec. 31, 2024, McArdle filed a pretrial motion to dismiss the charges, wherein Elgine “identified a child witness by name” and gave “public notice the child had provided a statement.” On Feb. 18, McArdle filed a competency hearing for one of the child witnesses, again identifying the juvenile by name and mentioning the child advocacy center interview, troopers said.

On July 15, McArdle “emailed a copy” of a video showing an interview with a child witness to the court reporter “in an unencrypted email,” as well as another copy of the same video to Lowell Maxey, who was recently charged for investigating the case without a license, according to the complaint.

On July 17, McArdle requested a “white sheet” be made from the child advocacy interview, and did so in a motion which was “of record in a public court.” McArdle also filed a response to “a motion of the state” in which she “duplicated portions of the CAC interview,” troopers said.

On Aug. 1, McArdle filed copies of the whiteboard used in the child advocacy interview, copies of the CAC referral form, which included the name and address of the child witness, the identity of the child witness’s parents and a summary of the interview,” according to the complaint.

Troopers stated that the information which McArdle made public included items that “only the defendant” may review with their attorney and that “this information must be approved in advance by the court” if it is to be shared with any other person.

McArdle has received 13 counts of the misdemeanor charge of “confidentiality of recorded interviews of children.” According to the WV Courts website, a personal recognizance bond of $2,000 was set on Oct. 27, which she posted on Oct. 28.

There are no future court dates listed at this time.