Yesterday a KY grand jury returned a three count misdemeanor indictment of Ernie Fletcher. For those of you not familiar with the story the Courier Journal has a complete time line of the progression of the investigation of KY Governor Ernie Fletcher here. The state of Kentucky has a law called the “merit system”. The law was a political device put in place to “protect the careers of long time state employees”. The idea is that candidates should be qualified for the job and when administrations change those employees are protected from political firing and replacement by newer less qualified political pals. Of course the Democrats controlled KY at the time and it was really a way to protect their appointments. See politics. However I agree one should not have to walk into the DMV and get an unqualified idiot when their main reason for getting the gob is his/her daddy is in good with whomever. Likewise one should not have to walk in and get poor service because the employee that had experience and knew their job is gone because of a change in administration. So I can see the advantage, the peoples business should not suffer due to politics. (almost choked on that one)

Now of course when the Republicans took the Senate and Governors office in KY the first thing they did was work out a plan to skirt the edges of the law. Too comply with the letter if not the spirit of the law. To bend it a bit. You might think that since same people who sent Fletcher to office also Elected Democrat Stumbo as attorney General old Fletch might step lightly. But too many political favors were owed and of course the Democratic Stumbo could not wait to unload on the Governor. So now KY finds itself in a bad way all over politics. Ironic isnÂ’t it.

Ernie says he will fight the charges in court. In the KY legislature both houses combined there are 72 Democrats vs 64 Republicans I think the possibility of impeachment is very real. Time line below the break as well.

• November 2004 — Transportation Cabinet employee Doug Doerting alleges to Executive Branch Ethics Commission staff that some merit hiring is based on politics.

• May 10, 2005 — Attorney General Greg Stumbo opens criminal investigation based on information from Doerting.

• May 27 — Gov. Ernie Fletcher defends hiring practices.

• June 6 — Special grand jury is formed.

• June 14 — Grand jury indicts acting Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert and two others, Deputy Secretary Jim Adams and commissioner of administrative services Dan Druen, in the firing of deputy transportation inspector general Mike Duncan.

• July 6 — Grand jury indicts Fletcher chief of staff Dick Murgatroyd, Druen and transportation official Cory Meadows.

• July 11 — Fletcher says he will appoint a task force to improve the merit system. Grand jury indicts state Republican Chairman Darrell Brock Jr., Fletcher personnel adviser Basil Turbyfill and Deputy Personnel Secretary Bob Wilson.

• July 28 — In the first meeting of the task force, Fletcher admits making a mistake by asking field offices to help with civil service job applications.

• Aug. 6 — Fletcher tells a raucous Fancy Farm picnic crowd that Stumbo spends all his time "fishing in Frankfort." Stumbo, in a breakfast address to local Democrats, warns Fletcher that issuing pardons won't make his problems go away.

• Aug. 29 — Fletcher pardons the nine people indicted to date, plus anyone who might be indicted, but excludes himself from the pardon. Stumbo said the evidence of wrongdoing gathered in the investigation was "overwhelming" and that Fletcher had "slammed the door on the public's right to know what wrongs his administration has committed."

• Aug. 30 — Fletcher goes briefly before the grand jury, saying later he invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to testify.

• Sept. 14 — Fletcher fires nine administration officials, some who had been indicted and some who were not indicted, saying they used poor judgment or were overzealous in promoting administration goals. He also asked for the resignation of Brock. One of those fired was Sam Beverage, a transportation highway engineer who was indicted yesterday along with Fletcher.

• Sept. 17 — State Republican Executive Committee declines Fletcher's request to ask for the resignation of Brock.

• Sept. 20 — Grand jury indicts Nighbert for alleged retaliation against Missy McCray, a transportation employee and whistleblower in the investigation, alleging he vetoed a proposed bonus for her.

• Sept. 30 — Grand jury indicts former Fletcher senior adviser and chief of staff Daniel Groves and Vincent Fields, former head of Fletcher's network of constituent offices.

• Oct. 20 — Grand jury indicts Dave Disponett, the state Republican Party treasurer and volunteer in Fletcher's office, and J. Marshall Hughes, the party's 2nd Congressional District chairman.

• Oct. 27 — Grand jurors ask a judge whether the state would represent them if they are later sued, and are assured that even with Fletcher's blanket pardon they can't be sued for returning an indictment.

• Nov. 16 — Final report of Fletcher's task force studying merit law recommends violations of the law remain misdemeanors.

• Nov. 17 — Post-pardon indictments of Groves, Fields, Disponett and Hughes are dismissed, but indictment of Nighbert is allowed to stand.

• Dec. 16 — Three-judge Court of Appeals panel rules unanimously that, despite Fletcher's blanket pardon, grand jury can continue to return indictments and issue a final report. Fletcher appeals ruling to Kentucky Supreme Court.

• Dec. 21 — At a meeting to discuss state funding for prosecutors, state budget director Brad Cowgill asks prosecutors to urge Stumbo to stop the hiring investigation, according to four commonwealth's attorneys at the meeting. Two other commonwealth's attorneys at the meeting said Cowgill had not made that request, and Cowgill said he did not make it.

• Feb. 24, 2006 — Fletcher appoints two lawyers who previously contributed to his political campaigns as special Supreme Court justices to hear his appeal of the Court of Appeals ruling allowing the grand jury to issue more indictments, after two justices disqualified themselves because of ties to the governor's office. One of the two appointees later resigns, saying his past contributions to Fletcher campaigns could give the perception of partiality.

• March 21 — Kentucky Supreme Court hears arguments on whether grand jury can continue to issue indictments given Fletcher's pardon.

• April 18 — Stumbo says grand jury — facing a May 19 expiration of its term — will wrap up its work without asking for more time. "It's time to move on and do whatever's going to be done," he said.

• May 8 — Deputy Attorney General Pierce Whites says grand jury may need more time because Fletcher's lawyers have delayed providing needed records. Fletcher's lawyers deny the charge.

Yesterday — Grand jury indicts Fletcher on charges of criminal conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination.

Posted by: Howie at 09:01 AM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
Post contains 1175 words, total size 8 kb.