The West Virginia gun lobby’s president has been appointed to replace a lawmaker who was removed from office while being confined in his home on terroristic threat charges against his colleagues.

The Republican Governor announced that Ian Masters, an attorney from Gerrardstown and the president of the West Virginia Citizens Defense League (WVCDL), was named Thursday to replace Joseph de Soto, who vacated the seat representing the southern part of Berkeley County at the West Virginia House of Delegates. Patrick Morrisey made the announcement.

Morrisey stated that Masters’ experience in defending gun rights for gun owners within the state has prepared him to take on the role.

In a press release, the governor stated that he was confident that he would bring conservative experience to his leadership and act as an effective legislator.

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De Soto (61), was elected in November, and then arrested in December, after claiming that God had told him to kill a number of members of the Legislature. These included House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, and House Majority leader Pat McGeehan who are both Republicans.

The Berkeley County Magistrate Court released him on bond on December 23 and ordered home confinement pending grand jury decisions. His confinement includes a restriction that he cannot contact the people he is accused of threatening or possess any deadly weapons.

The Republican majority House of Delegates declared de Soto’s vacant seat earlier this month.

De Soto, a Republican at the time of his election to office, switched to Democrat a day before he was arrested. The West Virginia Democratic Party filed a writ of mandate with the Supreme Court of Appeals of the state to try and prevent a Republican being appointed to that seat.

West Virginia’s Constitution says that the Governor must fill vacancies from a list submitted by the executive committee of the political party “with which the person who held the office immediately prior to the vacancy at the time it occurred was affiliated.”

West Virginia Del. Mike Pushkin stated that in his opinion, this means a Democrat would have been the best choice to replace de Soto.

Pushkin, in a text message statement following Masters’ appointment, said: “We are incredibly disappointed but we’re not surprised that Republicans obey a statute only when it benefits them and ignore it otherwise.”

West Virginia has one of the most Republican-dominated legislatures in the country. Republicans hold 91 of 100 seats in its House of Delegates, and 34 of them (except two) in its Senate.

De Soto, a Republican who represents part of Berkeley County on the eastern panhandle of West Virginia, was elected in November to his first term as a member of the West Virginia House. He received 72% of votes in the general elections after beating two other Republicans during the primary in May.

De Soto, if convicted, could face a maximum of $25,000 in fines and up to three years behind bars.