Fletcher won't rule out pardons

[ridgerunner]

It's too soon now for decision, he says

By Mark Pitsch
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Gov. Ernie Fletcher said yesterday he has not ruled out pardoning officials in his administration who have been indicted on charges of violating state civil service laws.

>snip

"The power of a pardon is given to a governor as the last stopgap measure to ensure justice. And it's a power I will continue to maintain because the people of Kentucky elected me and vested me with that authority, and I will keep that," Fletcher said after a Capitol ceremony to honor scholarship winners.

>snip

The idea of Fletcher pardoning the officials surfaced Tuesday when Larry Forgy, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1995, suggested that Fletcher pardon all individuals indicted in the investigation.

>snip

"If the governor pardons these people and walks away from this and straightens out whatever difficulties there are … a scab would form over this very quickly, and the only people that would be paying attention to Greg Stumbo down in the grand jury room in Franklin Circuit Court with the cockroaches and his grand jury would be the press," Forgy said.

more:http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050722/NEWS0104/507220412/1008/NEWS01

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I'm really, really disliking this asshat Forgy more every day.

[Roland99]

1. Fletcher lawyer sought end to grand jury probe, AG office says

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/12218593.htm

Gov. Ernie Fletcher would make a public statement that his administration may have made personnel mistakes and some individuals might be subjected to discipline if a special grand jury investigation was held up, according to a proposal made by his lawyer to Attorney General Greg Stumbo.

The agreement included a provision that Fletcher would appear before the special grand jury, though not under oath, and explain the changes in Merit System personnel practices his administration would undertake.

Gubernatorial counsel James Deckard said he reached the agreement with Stumbo during conversations over the July 4th holiday, but Stumbo's office said Monday there was no agreement and characterized the proposal as a "wish list" from the administration.

In a written statement, Deckard said Stumbo conducted the negotiations without consulting his senior staff or chief prosecutor Scott Crawford-Sutherland. It was only after Stumbo told his staff about the agreement that it was broken, Deckard said.

Anything to kept from being held accountable.

Damn, what has the GOP become? Wow.