NCUA General Counsel Mike McKenna said in a March 29 legalopinion he disagrees with the $161 million St. Helens CommunityFCU's claim that a federal lawsuit filed by a member should bedismissedbecause it is not within the jurisdiction of federal court.

The letter was submitted by plaintiff Steven Knebel to the courton April 1, along with his response to the St. Helen, Ore., creditunion's motion to dismiss the case, which challenges the vote counttaken during a special meeting in September in which members votedto not recall five directors.

Knebel was among a group of members who spearheaded a recall petition in June 2012 to remove the directors over thedismissal of former SHCFCU CEO Jeff Schwarz, and in opposition to aproposed merger with the $152 million Wauna FCU. The merger hassince been scrapped.