Fletcher will be allowed to create legal defense fund

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Aug. 25, 2006
Fletcher will be allowed to create legal defense fund
JOE BIESK
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Gov. Ernie Fletcher can set up a legal defense fund to accept donations to help pay for costs associated with his criminal charges that were dismissed, an ethics panel ruled Friday.

However, Fletcher may not accept money from donors who have business dealings with state agencies that the governor has direct involvement with, the Executive Branch Ethics Commission said in an advisory opinion.

The opinion from the ethics panel comes a day after Special Judge David E. Melcher approved a negotiated settlement in a misdemeanor case in which Fletcher was charged with violating state hiring laws.

For the past year, a special grand jury has been investigating state hiring decisions by the Fletcher administration. Fletcher was indicted in May on charges of criminal conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination.
(snip/...)

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/local/15360524.htm



Ernie Fletcher & acquaintance

[Howardx]

1. charges were dismissed?

why was that i wonder?

"Yesterday, in the rush of events, we linked to an AP piece reporting that charges against Gov. Ernie Fletcher had been "dismissed."

What was missing there was that the charges were dismissed because Fletcher pled guilty. As part of a deal struck with the state's attorney general, Fletcher admitted wrongdoing (although not "criminal wrongdoing"), several of his appointees will be forced to resign, and all charges were dropped."

http://tpmmuckraker.com/

"The governor acknowledges that the evidence strongly indicates wrongdoing by his administration with regard to personnel actions within the merit system,” the seven-page accord said, adding that he takes responsibility and that he “hereby states that these actions were inappropriate."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/25/us/25kentucky.html?ex=1314158400&en=6fdcb39003eb8dc4&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

[Robbien]

2. The word in the blogs is that Fletcher planned on pardoning himself

if he were convicted.

I guess this court ruling is as far as they could go to get a guilty plea out of Fletcher and make it stick without Fletcher using a pardon.

[alfredo]

3. If he gets reelected, I'm moving.