More ethics charges in Kentucky gov't
http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/85905.html
A commission investigating a state hiring scandal
approved ethics charges Friday against four former
high-ranking officials in Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration.
The Republican administration was under investigation
for more than a year over allegations that the governor's
political supporters were being given protected state jobs
based on their connections instead of qualifications.
The governor himself was indicted on three misdemeanor charges
that were dropped in a negotiated deal with prosecutors.
In 2005, Fletcher issued a blanket pardon for anyone else
in his administration who might be criminally charged.
However, the ethics charges approved Friday by the
Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission are not
criminal counts, and the board's general counsel,
John Steffen, said he does not believe the pardon
applies to them.
The panel, most of which was appointed by Fletcher,
approved ethics charges against Darrell Brock,
James L. Adams, Basil Turbyfill and Robert Wilson Jr., none of
whom still works for the state.
Wilson, charged with four ethics counts, and Turbyfill,
charged with two, had been fired. The others face one
count each. All face potential fines of up to $5,000 per
count and public reprimand.
Brock, a former chairman of the state Republican Party,
is a former commissioner of the governor's office of
local development. Adams is the former deputy secretary of
transportation.
Turbyfill was the director of the governor's office
of personnel and efficiency. Wilson is a former director
of personnel in the Commerce Cabinet.
The commission accused each of the four with different
levels of involvement in a plan to subvert hiring laws
guiding the state's version of a civil service system to
install Fletcher's political supporters.
The commission previously charged former Fletcher
administration official Dan Druen with violating state ethics law.
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