Manchin Official Resigns, Gets Sued

The man who stepped down last week as head of the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity had earlier become a defendant in a lawsuit also filed against the Huntington church he pastors, The Charleston Gazette reports.

Fifth Third Bank alleges that "Apostolic Life owes more than $702,000 on a loan taken out in 2001, plus nearly $37,000 in interest," the article said. "The bank also claims that a man who runs a technology company in Tennessee helped the church file fraudulent documents related to the loan."

That co-defendant, Mark Shannon Manuel, "called the lawsuit 'frivolous' and said the church has paid off its debt," the article also said.

The Gazette reported earlier on Harper's abrupt Friday departure from the state office.

"Harper's resignation came two days after a meeting where the heads of several community action agencies told Harper they might close their doors because federal stimulus funds that pass through the GOEO were so late," that article said.