The NCUA has contradicted itself regarding the basis of amember’s lawsuit against the $161 million St. Helens Community FCUof St. Helen, Ore., and the examples of those contradictions aredocumented and working their way into court.

NCUA Public Affairs Specialist John Fairbanks said the agency isnot taking any sides on the case. “This is a matter before thecourt and we will wait to see what the judge decides.”

But that hasn’t stopped both sides from using the NCUA’s wordsin court, including a Sept. 7, 2012, email from Region V DirectorElizabeth Whitehead to a member, plaintiff Steve Knebel, thatinformed him the region had dismissed his Aug. 27 complaint thatSt. Helens violated Federal Credit Union Act bylaws when it countedabsentee ballots during a special meeting to recall five directors.Knebel had warned the NCUA ahead of the meeting that the creditunion had mailed more than 15,000 absentee ballots to members alongwith a letter from CEO Brooke Van Vleet encouraging members toretain the five volunteers because “an unwarranted and impulsiverecall at this time will be disruptive to the credit union.”