Staff photo / David Skolnick James Walker of Warren, left, listens as Jason Miner of Warren explains why a property where his house used to stand is his primary residence during a Trumbull County Board of Elections meeting.

WARREN — Despite all four Trumbull County Board of Elections members expressing skepticism about Jason Miner’s insistence that he did not falsely use an address on a nomination petition to get elected as a Republican central committee member, the board will take more time to consider the matter.

The board met for about 100 minutes, including 40 minutes behind closed doors to deliberate, during a Monday investigatory hearing. The board opted to give Miner additional time to prove that his family’s former house on Burton Street, which caught on fire in December and was subsequently demolished, is his “intended” residence.

The board could forward its results from the hearing, which will resume sometime later this month, to the county prosecutor, sheriff’s office or the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office for possible criminal investigation of election falsification.

James Walker of Belvedere Avenue in Warren filed a May 11 complaint with the board about Miner’s residence after the latter was elected unopposed as a Republican central committee member for Warren Precinct 5F. Miner was certified May 20 by the elections board.

Miner said the property, where his family’s house was destroyed in a fire, is where he intends to live once it is rebuilt. All four board members questioned Miner about that contention.

Board member Marleah Campbell, a Republican who has clashed with Miner, said to him: “You have absolutely nothing to prove that this is being rebuilt. Just because you say there is intent doesn’t mean that it’s going to happen.”

Miner provided a Facebook post from his mother about rebuilding as evidence, saying he was being accused by Walker and would have prepared rebuttals had questions been raised.

While Walker had little to say, the four board members peppered Miner with questions and skepticism about his contention.

Campbell said she was “dumbfounded” that Miner could come to a hearing “with absolutely nothing to prove that this house is being rebuilt.”

Board Chairman Mark Alberini said: “It’s crystal clear why we’re here. The facts are obvious that there’s no house there,” and “We were hoping you would have come here to enlighten us.”

Alberini said: “There’s no proof being offered that what you’re claiming is valid and legit.”

While the board members deliberated in private for 40 minutes, Miner said, “They had their minds made up before they came here.”

When the board came back into public session, Alberini said: “A statement of intent was presented. It’s still very unclear of actual intent based on what we know and what we don’t know.”

Alberini said the board wanted Miner to produce notarized statements from his mother, who owned the house, and his uncle, who now owns the property, as well as receipts for items purchased that are in the garage and a contract with the company that is rebuilding at the Burton Street site.

Alberini told Miner: “The burden of proof largely lies on this board because the complaint was against you.”

The board will meet sometime later this month to resume the hearing, Alberini said.

After the board’s decision to continue the hearing, Miner said, “They came into it with their minds made up. I’ll just give a warning to every voter in Trumbull County: if you suffer a house fire, if you suffer a disaster, which occurs in your house, and also dare to be a conservative, speaking out against people in this county, you’ll be a subject of an attack. I’m 20 years old and I’ve become the focus of desperate older adults who have nothing better to do with their time, except destroy me and they continue to be unsuccessful because the law is on my side, case law is on my side.”

Miner said the board “had every intention of going back in that meeting room and saying, ‘Yeah, we’re going to send you to the prosecutor.’ I think the prosecutor advised them that the law is on my side and that a further investigative hearing would be proper. But they certainly came in here to hang me and they didn’t do a good job.”

As for Walker, Miner said, “He’s in this because it makes him stay relevant. James Walker, he doesn’t matter. He’s an irrelevant individual. He’s not a serious person.”

Walker, who heard Miner’s comments, said, “I’m happy the board is doing its due diligence. It’s hard to prove intent. The funny thing about all of this is you have an individual who claims to be an adult, but it’s all based on where his mommy lives. He lied from the very beginning.”