The case of former Manassas Park City Council member Peter Farrell may now be closed, but questions remain.
Prince William County prosecutors had brought election fraud charges against Farrell, alleging that he was not a Manassas Park resident when he ran for election last year. Farrell listed a Manassas
Park address when running, but prosecutors charge that he wasn’t really living there.
Last Friday, Farrell resigned from the council, saying that he was doing so because he was now spending more time at another residence outside the city.
Monday, prosecutors decided they did not want to prosecute Farrell at this time.
This sounds like a deal to us, albeit one that is not being revealed to the public. Perhaps we speculate overmuch, but here are the questions that remain unanswered:
• If Farrell had not resigned Friday, would he have been prosecuted Monday?
• If he is really leaving the council because he is spending more time outside of Manassas Park, then what does that say about him as a public representative? It is irresponsible not to be available to the
area you represent. It is also irresponsible to abandon constituents so soon after one’s term has begun.
• Furthermore, why is he spending more time at a different residence? Why doesn’t he just spend more time in Manassas Park and fulfill his responsibility to the residents of the city?
We suspect the truth is that his stated reason for leaving the council is a smokescreen, but if that’s the case, prosecutors aren’t talking and we will probably never know.
Regardless, a council member is out and a new one will have to replace him. We hope whoever takes Farrell’s spot will come without a dark cloud over his or her head and with the intention of serving the
full remainder of Farrell’s term.
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