Louisville Courier Journal: [Steve] Henry's Conviction.
Henry's conviction
To hear former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry explain it, he is the victim of some sort of terrible miscarriage of justice.
He was the subject of a “political witch hunt,” he told reporters after a court appearance Tuesday in Frankfort. His accusers were liars, and the evidence against him was weak. The violations were “Mickey Mouse” in scale, were inadvertent and cost a whopping $900,000 to uncover. He chose not to defend himself in court only because of a desire to get all this behind him.
That may be how it looks to Dr. Henry, or it may be how he wants others to see it. But it is not a perspective that stands up well to closer inspection.
Actually, Dr. Henry tendered an Alford plea to three charges, which means that he maintains his innocence but acknowledges that there is sufficient evidence to convict him. How, then, does that position square with his assertion that a jury would have acquitted him?
Moreover, the “summary of facts” filed in Franklin Circuit Court provides damaging details in support of the three charges: that Dr. Henry attempted to knowingly accept and/or make contributions to his 2007 gubernatorial candidacy by use of a federal exploratory campaign account for a possible U.S. Senate race; that he attempted to knowingly make and/or receive contributions in the governor's race other than through a duly appointed campaign official; and of attempting to knowingly accept corporate contributions during his campaign.
These are serious charges. They smack of the under-the-table campaign financing that election laws are designed to guard against. Indeed, they were originally felony charges, and former Attorney General Greg Stumbo was right to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue them. (Incidentally, the prosecutor, James Crawford, insists that he and two state police detectives did almost all of the work and received no funds other than their regular state salaries.)
Instead of playing the victim, Dr. Henry should feel fortunate that he received only a $500 fine and a suspended jail term of a year.
And the people of Kentucky should feel lucky that Dr. Henry is not their governor.
To hear former Lt. Gov. Steve Henry explain it, he is the victim of some sort of terrible miscarriage of justice.
He was the subject of a “political witch hunt,” he told reporters after a court appearance Tuesday in Frankfort. His accusers were liars, and the evidence against him was weak. The violations were “Mickey Mouse” in scale, were inadvertent and cost a whopping $900,000 to uncover. He chose not to defend himself in court only because of a desire to get all this behind him.
That may be how it looks to Dr. Henry, or it may be how he wants others to see it. But it is not a perspective that stands up well to closer inspection.
Actually, Dr. Henry tendered an Alford plea to three charges, which means that he maintains his innocence but acknowledges that there is sufficient evidence to convict him. How, then, does that position square with his assertion that a jury would have acquitted him?
Moreover, the “summary of facts” filed in Franklin Circuit Court provides damaging details in support of the three charges: that Dr. Henry attempted to knowingly accept and/or make contributions to his 2007 gubernatorial candidacy by use of a federal exploratory campaign account for a possible U.S. Senate race; that he attempted to knowingly make and/or receive contributions in the governor's race other than through a duly appointed campaign official; and of attempting to knowingly accept corporate contributions during his campaign.
These are serious charges. They smack of the under-the-table campaign financing that election laws are designed to guard against. Indeed, they were originally felony charges, and former Attorney General Greg Stumbo was right to appoint a special prosecutor to pursue them. (Incidentally, the prosecutor, James Crawford, insists that he and two state police detectives did almost all of the work and received no funds other than their regular state salaries.)
Instead of playing the victim, Dr. Henry should feel fortunate that he received only a $500 fine and a suspended jail term of a year.
And the people of Kentucky should feel lucky that Dr. Henry is not their governor.
Labels: Crime, Kentucky politics, Punishment
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 11:10 AM
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