WASHINGTONVILLE Militia group leader sues council

Vos sought to join village government in fall 2001.
By NORMAN LEIGH
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LISBON -- The leader of an unorganized militia group based in Columbiana County is suing Washingtonville council members and other officials for $32 million for denying his bid to become a member of village government.
Don Vos of 190 Washington St., Washingtonville, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in common pleas court.
A village spokesman was unavailable late this morning to comment.
Asked to be mayor
Vos asked village council in fall 2001 to be appointed to the mayor's position, which was being vacated by then Mayor Charles Morrow, who was resigning.
Council, however, appointed councilman Mike Donnalley to the post.
Vos then asked council to appoint him to one of three vacant seats on the panel. But he was not appointed.
He never sought to be elected to any of the posts because it was too close to the election for him to file candidacy petitions.
In his lawsuit, Vos accuses village officials of conspiring to defame him and keep him from being named to one of the governmental positions.
Vos' lawsuit alleges that village officials were partly motivated by publicized comments Vos made in connection with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York.
Vos told a news crew that the U.S. government was at fault for not acting to stop the planes, the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit also maintains that village officials had a private meeting at which they were told -- the document doesn't say by whom -- that Vos is a felon and could not hold office.
Vos said he is not a felon.
Among those named in the suit are Morrow, Donnalley, Atty. Richard Shelar, village solicitor; council members Theresa Allison, Larry Dickson, Roy Hartman, Norm Sommers and Laura Trummer; village clerk June Garlough; and village treasurer Jean Nocera.