Sparks Fly Following Patton Pardons

WLEX ^ | June 18, 2003

[Republican Wildcat]

Frankfort, KY Gov. Paul Patton on Wednesday pardoned his chief of staff and three others charged with breaking election laws in Patton's 1995 campaign. The pardons came two days after the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear their appeal of a state Supreme Court ruling that reinstated their November 1998 indictments. Attorney General Ben Chandler has alleged they colluded to help Patton's Democratic campaign get around spending limits during his 1995 campaign.

The group includes two of Patton's chief of staff, Andrew "Skipper" Martin; labor liaison Danny Ross; and two longtime Teamsters--Lon Fields, who was president of Local 89 in Louisville, and Robert Winstead, the local's former secretary-treasurer. Patton, a Democrat, said he believed a jury would have found the men innocent, but was unwilling to take that risk "I have great confidence in the judicial system of Kentucky, but it's not perfect," said Patton.

[Republican Wildcat]

Just over 6 more months left, and hopefully Frankfort will be cleansed after more than 30 years...

[Republican Wildcat]

Here's the clean-up crew:

Trey Grayson for Secretary of State!

Linda Greenwell for State Auditor!

Ernie Fletcher for Governor!

Adam Koenig for Treasurer!

Richie Farmer for Agriculture Commissioner!

[Bluegrass Federalist]

Another post on this, with an article from the Herald-(mis)Leader.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/931444/posts

[Republican Wildcat]

bttt

[Republican Wildcat]

bttt

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Gov. Paul Patton on Wednesday pardoned his chief of staff and three others charged with breaking election laws in Patton's 1995 campaign.

This is Klinton-style government right here: have your cronies do your dirty work while promising that if they're caught, they will face some negative headlines but they'll be walking away with enough money to make it worth their while and no real prosecution. In Klinton's case, he would sometimes keep those promises or (more often) whack them to guarantee they wouldn't talk.

(Do you think Susan McDougal really loved the Clintons? Hell no, she knew them well and knew that she stood a serious chance of winding up dead in a one-car "accident" at the end of a long country road if she showed anything but true loyalty before a lapdog press.)

[Congressman Billybob]

How odd that the crooked, dishonest "Governor" of Kentucky, Patton who is a Democrat, didn't mention Bill Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich and many others at the last minute. NOT.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, now up FR, "The Perfect Country and Western Song."

[Fred Mertz]

This is how things work in Kentucky. Patton stole the election and wants this swept under the rug.

[azhenfud]

Pardon them all and let God sort them out.

Strange philosophy, but it's Democratic.

[Republican Wildcat]

Here we go yet again...

[fifteendogs]

I think, when you are talking about democrats, the saying is
Kill them all and let God sort it out

[martin_fierro]

That guy is so (milque)toast.

[Ruth A.]

Actually, it looks as though he is doing a trying to pull a Clinto. He should be biting his lip, though.

[aristeides]

Patton seems determined to cause a Republican landslide in the state.

Any chance of federal charges against these guys? Who's the U.S. Attorney?

[martin_fierro]

Actually, it looks as though he is doing a trying to pull a Clinto.

In that photo he IS "pulling a Clinton." It's from his gross press conference where he admitted to an extramarital affair with a woman he later bankrupted as revenge when the affair ended.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

He tried it, that was exactly his plan. He used the phrase "private life" about 20 times. No one bought it for a second. The state may be majority Dems, but not liberals. This isn't NY or Mass., and we didn't buy it for a second.

[martin_fierro]

Patton can't seriously think he'd be re-elected at this point. Can he?

[Republican Wildcat]

He's term limited. He was going to run for U.S. Senate next year against Jim Bunning, but that is not going to happen now.

[Bluegrass Federalist]

No, he is term-limited. His plan before he got caught with his pants down (zing!) was to challenge Jim Bunning for the U.S. Senate seat. He was considered a strong contender before the affair/sex-for-influence scandal.

PArt of what he is doing now is intentionally hurting the Dem candidate for governor, who is the current AG prosecuting these guys. He gets embarrassed, plus the whole Democratic Party looks like the criminals they are. He's taking the whole party down with him out of hate for the nominee, and I am loving it.

[Republican Wildcat]

He's got State ethics charges pending...I don't know what sort of punishment could be handed down from that. He's still under FBI investigation, I believe.