Owner of Nursing Home Linked to Governor's Sex Scandal

Associated Press ^ | Nov 27, 2002 | Anabelle Garay

[tomball]

Alleges State Inspectors Altered Patient Records

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The owner of a bankrupt nursing home accused state regulators Wednesday of fabricating violations and altering records to close down the home in retaliation for her decision to end an affair with Gov. Paul Patton. The state is trying to revoke Birchtree Healthcare's license - which expires Dec. 31 - for "continued and substantial failure" to meet minimum requirements.

Tina Conner alleges state inspectors hounded the nursing home into bankruptcy after she ended a two-year affair with Patton. She alleges it was Patton's way of retaliating - a charge under state and federal investigation.

The debt-ridden nursing home, which has only 11 residents left, never recovered from losing Medicare and Medicaid funding during the summer.

During a federal bankruptcy hearing Wednesday, Conner and Birchtree administrator Dan Dabney alleged a member of the state's survey team altered a patient's medical record during an October inspection, causing the patient to take medication later than prescribed.

Dabney has filed a complaint with the attorney general's office. A spokeswoman there said the office has subpoenaed the records.

The state Cabinet for Health Services declined to comment, but inspector Linda Tinsley testified that regulators didn't change the chart.

Conner and Dabney deny the facility had serious violations and say they worked to improve care.

"I have never said there weren't legitimate problems," Conner said. "They were not of that magnitude."

Conner said she has given investigators a tape of a conversation in which a state official says she is working to close down Birchtree.

Patton acknowledged his affair with Conner but denied doing anything to aid or ruin her business. Cabinet officials deny their scrutiny of Birchtree was politically motivated.

AP-ES-11-27-02 2101EST

[glock rocks]

um, you mean Paul Patton (D)?

[realpatriot]

It's obvious when the news is bad and the letter is omitted it's a (D).

The converse is also true.

[toddst]

um, you mean Paul Patton (D)?

That's the one. A running survey in the Courier-Journal has consistently shown upwards of 85% of Kentuckians believe Patton should resign. But no, he plans to serve out his term, bringing "non-political" solutions to the budget crises in Kentucky. When pigs fly!

All Patton wants to do is raise taxes, as opposed to cutting the bloated state budget. Heaven forbid we should put bureaucrats (who are mostly Dems) out of work!

[MHGinTN]

He's a Democrat?... well, er, uh, it's only about sex. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[glock rocks]

xactly.

[martin_fierro]

America deserves better than Democrats.

[eno_]

You'd think the schmuck could be more original than dating a nursing home operator. What's with these hillbilly govs.?

[Theodore R.]

People in KY voted for Patton by a large margin in 1999 (narrow margin in 1995). They know that he is a tax-first governor, and they should support him. Otherwise, they are being inconsistent with their 1999 electoral mandate. KY has had SEVEN Democrat governors since 1971: Wendell Ford, Julian Carroll, John Y. Brown, Martha Layne Collins, the late Wallace Wilkinson, Brereton Jones, and now Paul Patton. People in KY like Democrat governors. The last Republican governor, Louie B. Nunn, lost popularity when he tried to place sales taxes on groceries. This may have cost Nunn victory in the 1972 senatorial general election in KY. Even as Nixon was sweeping KY that year, Nunn was losing the Senate race, and that was a Republican seat being vacated by the now deceased John Sherman Cooper.

[KQQL]

Oh NO !!
NO PICS of the mistress?

[KQQL]

I bet Patton has something on Lucas...that's why he didn't switch

[KQQL]

@

[KQQL]

RECAP:

At a 1997 fund-raiser for Tom Barlow at Kentucky Dam Village, a staff person from Conner's facility witnessed Patton allegedly fondling her breasts. Barlow denied having any fund-raisers in 1997. Patton allegedly propositioned Conner the next day, by phone, and they arranged to meet at the Doubletree Inn in Louisville.

Conner added that over the next two years, they met "approximately 14 times," mostly at the Doubletree, but three times they met at the Radisson Hotel in Lexington.
Conner also claims that another woman was involved in three of the alleged sexual encounters. The other woman also was a state employee, and those alleged encounters were all arranged by Patton.

Conner also alleges that on one occasion at his Frankfort office, Patton pulled down her panty hose and fondled her.
Conner, who was appointed by Patton to the Institute on Aging and the Lottery Board, claims that she would arrive the evening before meetings, get a hotel room, and alleged encounters would take place the following morning between 7 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Conner also alleges that in 1998, Patton ordered that Medicaid grant higher rates to her nursing home, Birchtree Healthcare. That allegedly resulted in an extra one-time payment of $300,000 to the facility.
http://www.thelouisvillechannel.com/lou/news/stories/news-167521620020918-180939.html

[Theodore R.]

Really, I think it's just camaraderie. The two have been friends since college, I believe I read. And besides, wouldn't you think that they both "believe in democracy"?

[KQQL]

Naaaa......I bet he's got something on him..if he was going to remain a rat..why did he go meet hasert and the GOP leadership....?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

He's a Democrat?... well, er, uh, it's only about sex. Nothing to see here. Move along.

What is it about Southern dimo governors and nursing home owners anyway. Is this the dimo South's version of the casting couch?

PS: Interesting how the mass mania media always forgets to attach the -D.

[concerned about politics]

The owner of a bankrupt nursing home accused state regulators Wednesday of fabricating violations and altering records to close down the home in retaliation for her decision to end an affair with Gov. Paul Patton.

Same thing Clinton threatened to do after he rapped Juanita Broadrick. If she talked, her nursing home would be toast. Clinton was governor at the time, too. Typical Democrat scum!

[Illbay]

But no, he plans to serve out his term,...

Look, THE numero uno Democrat of this generation got completely away with perjury, obstruction of justice, subborning perjury and conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice (not to mention a few things like treason).

This is "only about sex."

Why in h*ll do you think a Democrat is gonna resign over a sex scandal? Where were you the last five years?

[FreedomPoster]

My wife is from a long-time, heavily Republican family in KY. Her aunt and uncle used to alternate being tax commissioner in their rural home county, and my wife's first memory of a voting booth, (with her dad, as a child) was being told "all you you to know is to pull that lever with the 'R' next to it."

I'm getting in the car in a few minutes to go there for Thanksgiving; I can't wait to get the latest on this from my father-in-law.

[toddst]

Why in h*ll do you think a Democrat is gonna resign over a sex scandal? Where were you the last five years?

Of course. What was I thinking??

Well, Patton at least knocked himself out of any run against Jim Bunning (R) our junior Senator. We Republicans have both Senate seats and all but one House seat, with the only Dem. (Lucas) making noises like he's going to "convert" to Republican.

Actually, Patton not resigning increases the chance a Republican will retake the Governorship in the uncoming (offyear) election.