It looks like more damning evidence will turn up against Fletcher. Much of the evidence already is damning. I wonder what else it will turn up. This story by Jack Brammer in the Herald-Leader explains things a bit.

Fletcher's computer records searched

Warrant covers server for all his offices

By Jack Brammer

HERALD-LEADER FRANKFORT BUREAU


FRANKFORT - Investigators for Attorney General Greg Stumbo served a search warrant late yesterday on the computer server for all the offices of Gov. Ernie Fletcher in the Capitol.

Vicki Glass, a spokeswoman for Stumbo's office, said the server includes computer records not only from Fletcher's office but also from all his support offices in the Capitol, including those of his chief of staff, general counsel and communications staff. The server is in Room 141 of the Capitol, and not in Fletcher's private office.

The computer materials were only copied, not seized, Glass said.

The attorney general's office is investigating the Fletcher administration's handling of personnel matters, but Glass declined to say what investigators were looking for or how far back the records go.

Documents to support the reason for the search and a seizure log detailing what was found will be filed with Franklin Circuit Court Monday, she said.

Fletcher's general counsel, Jim Deckard, had no comment. Louisville attorney Sheryl Snyder, who is representing the governor's office, could not be reached for comment.

Mike Goins, deputy director of communications for the governor, said he was not aware of any details of the search warrant. "If I were, I would not comment on them. We have not done so in the past," he said.

Goins added: "The troubling thing for us is that after three consecutive Fridays, it seems that the attorney general's office has come up with a late afternoon surprise, has done some type of activity related to this investigation.

"So to us it begs the question, is this part of their investigation or is it merely an attempt to try and dominate the weekend news headlines? In other words, is this part of an ongoing probe in just their timing or is this just a big public relations stunt to get themselves in the news during the weekend?"

Last Friday, Fletcher was subpoenaed to appear before the grand jury on Aug. 30. On previous Fridays, the attorney general's office filed a court document that said Fletcher's hiring program was "a corrupt political machine" and news broke that subpoenas had been served on personnel officers in various state cabinets.

Glass said the search was conducted late yesterday "so as not to disrupt the computer server for all of the governor's Capitol offices."

"They should have their computer service back in a few hours," she said shortly after 6 p.m. "We were not trying to dominate any news. We are conducting an investigation."

Stumbo's office is leading a special Franklin County grand jury that is investigating whether the Fletcher administration violated state personnel laws. Nine current or former Fletcher officials have been indicted on misdemeanor charges of violating the laws. One, Dan Druen, former administrative services commissioner in the Transportation Cabinet, also has been charged with felony counts of witness and evidence tampering. All have said they did nothing wrong.

Stumbo's investigators already have seized numerous computers, volumes of records and other materials from Fletcher's office and related agencies, such as his office for local development.

The computer server searched yesterday does not contain records for the local development office.

In May, Stumbo's investigators, armed with search warrants, confiscated boxes of documents from the Capitol offices of two key aides to Fletcher -- deputy chief of staff Richard Murgatroyd and Dave Disponett, an unpaid political adviser and treasurer of the state Republican Party.

Murgatroyd has been indicted on 16 counts of prohibition against political discrimination, two counts of violation of rights of executive department employee and one count of criminal conspiracy.

Disponett, who has not been indicted, has vacated his Capitol office.



Response

The problems continue to mount for a governor who's already declared for reelection. He may not have the option and we may have to deal with reelection earlier although I don't know what happens if both the Governor and his Lt. are both indicted because I feel like Pence should be investigated too. He's got his own issues but he's obviously part of this inner circle and knows everything the others do. I wonder why he's not being hammered too?

posted by Stithmeister @ 10:41 AM
 
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