Among the campaign signs that adorn the lawn of the Frank Armada's law office is one for state Supreme Court candidate Margaret Workman. In addition to working together on a wrongful-death suit in Fayette County involving a now-convicted pedophile and murderer, records show Armada contributed to both Workman's current campaign and 2004 bid for state Senate. (Photo by Lawrence Smith)

CHARLESTON - In addition to being a benefactor for her share of attorney fees in Fayette County wrongful death suit, a Teays Valley attorney also has been a benefactor to two of Margaret Workman's political campaigns.

According to campaign finance records on file with the Secretary of State's Office, Frank Armada contributed to both Workman's campaign for state Senate in 2004 and current campaign for state Supreme Court.

In 2004, Workman was nominated by Kanawha County Democrats to run against incumbent Republican Vic Sprouse for the 8th Senatorial District. In November's general election, Sprouse defeated Workman 48,762 to 37,709.

It was during this campaign that Roy E. Bell, a Fayetteville man, whose son, Jeremy, was molested and murdered by Edgar W. Friedrichs by his former elementary school principal on Nov. 7, 1997, was featured in a television advertisement for the Sprouse campaign.

What Bell said apparently had an impact on Workman as she accused Bell in a lawsuit filed last year of slander.

In the suit, Workman alleges the ads were "scripted, encouraged [and] supervised" by Pennsylvania attorney Richard A. Peterson, who was then representing Bell as co-administrator of Jeremy's estate in a wrongful-death suit against both Friedrichs and the Fayette Board of Education in Fayette Circuit Court. The suit also accused Peterson of luring Bell away as Workman's client after she successfully got him named as co-administrator in September 2002.

Though Bell admitted to doing the ads, he said he approached Sprouse about them, and not at anybody's urging.

Nevertheless, Armada, who was the other co-counsel for the estate representing Jeremy's mother, Kimberly Ball, contributed $500 to Workman's bid for Senate. Records show, the contribution came during a reception held on June 24, 2004, at the law firm of Hill, Carper, Peterson, Bee and Dietzlier.

Though Armada's contribution to Workman's Senate campaign was for naught, a $1,000 contribution he gave during the primary seemed to help. In the May Democratic primary, Workman and Huntington attorney Menis E. Ketchum bested their opponents, Chief Justice Elliott E. "Spike" Maynard and WVU Law Professor Robert Bastress.

Armada's $1,000 contribution was made on April 8 again during a reception held at the law firm of Hill, Carper, Peterson, Bee and Dietzler.

Prior to the 2008 campaign, a settlement was reached in the wrongful death suit with the Board agreeing to pay the estate $2.25 million. Of that amount, $750,000 was set aside for attorney fees.

Following mediation, Judge John Hatcher on March 12, 2007, ordered Armada be paid $636,793.55, or 85 percent, of the total set aside for attorney fees. Though at a hearing held three days prior to Hatcher's order in which Armada said he intended to share a portion of his earnings with Workman, neither he nor Workman could say how much she received.

Workman could not remember the amount and referred inquiries to Armada, who did not return repeated telephone calls seeking comment.

However, Workman made clear that it was through their cooperative efforts that Jeremy's family was able to receive a sizable monetary settlement.

"But ultimately, Frank Armada and I were the only two who got Roy any money," Workman said. "Mr. Armada is a fine attorney."