The Rural Democrat

UPDATED: Southeastern Kentucky Political Corruption; More of a Tradition than a Rarity

It has been well documented for decades that Southeastern Kentucky may be the most politically corrupt region in Kentucky and probably this part of the United States. Over the years our trash is being noticed and many of those corrupt politicians are going to jail. I know I have probably missed a few people, if so, let me know via a comment. I know a few regional elected officials were convicted in the BOPTROT investigation as well. Remember: these people were indicted and or convicted in the last 25 years, If I listed our indicted elected officials for the past 100 years I would "never" stop writing!

Thanks to the people who left some great comments we have more to add to th LIST. Keep them coming.

Clay County

• Longtime Manchester Mayor Daugh K. White was sentenced to 84 months in prison for accepting political kickbacks and extortion.
• Manchester City Manager Kennon White pleaded guilty to accepting political kickbacks, extortion and mail fraud.
• Manchester assistant police chief Todd Roberts pleaded guilty to similar charges as Daugh White
• Manchester City Councilman Vernon Hacker and 911 Director Vernon Hacker also plead guilty to similar charges as White.
• Clay County Clerk Jennings White plead guilty to his involvement in a major drug ring
• County election commissioner Kenneth Day plead guilty to his involvement in a major drug ring
• Charles "Dobber" Weaver Manchester fire chief plead guilty to depriving the voters the right to have their vote counted.
• Clay County Magistrate Fred Clinton Johnson plead guilty to good old vote buying

Knott County

• Tammy Brewer, assistant to the Knott County Judge Executive was indicted in 2007 for perjury in an investigation by a Federal Grand Jury.
• Former Knott County Judge Executive Donnie Newsome was sent to prison for conspiring to buy votes.
• Knott County Judge Executive Randy Thompson was indicted for misappropriating funds in his 2006 election.
• Deputy Judge Executive John Mac Combs was indicted on the same charges as Thompson
• Deputy Judge Executive Phillip Champion was indicted on the same charges as Thompson
• County Road Worker Ronnie Adams was also charged in the same case
• Former U.S. Congressman Carl "Chris" Perkins who plead guilty to FEC violations in 1994, he served the 7th Congressional district.

Bell County

• Current Pineville Mayor Bobby Madon was convicted of theft of city funds in 1987 while serving as mayor, he was pardoned by Governor Wallace Wilkerson.

Harlan County

• Former School Board Superintendent Grace Ann Tolliver was charged with theft and forgery in 1992.
• Former School Board member Gary Henson was charged with theft and forgery in 1992
• Former Evarts City Chief of Police James Cooper is currently on trail for drug dealing
• Former School Board Chairman Benny Dale Coleman was indicted in 1993 for profiting from the school board
• Former Sheriff Paul Browning Jr was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in the early 1980s. He was murdered while running for Sheriff in 2002.
• Harlan County School Board member Mathias Williams Jr was indicted on Child Pornography charges in 2001. Williams was one of the 3 elected officials former Sheriff Paul Browning Jr wanted dead in the early 1980s.
• Former Flood Plains Administrator John Christian was indicted for smuggling marijuana.
• Former Councilman Joel Forester was also indicted and sent to prison for smuggling marijuana
• Former County Clerk Larry Lee was sent to prison for theft of $122,000 in the late 1990s

Knox County

• Former County Judge Executive Raymond Smith plead guilty to mail fraud earlier this year. While Smith was Judge Executive he setup county bids for his family owned business. He is also a class A jerk.
• Former State Rep. and State Treasurer and Secretary of State Francis Jones Mills was indicted for violating states ethics laws, she was find $11,000.
• Current County Democratic Party Chair and Former Judge-Executive Don I. Bingham pleaded guilty on a felony charge of tampering with multiple absentee ballots.

Whitley County

• Former acting Secretary of Transportation Bill Nighbert was indicted for violating the states whistle blower laws and seeking revenge against a public employee.
• Jailer Jerry F. Taylor was indicted in 2005 for using his office for profit and forgery.

Johnson County

• County Judge Executive Hobert Meade plead guilty to extortion in 1997 and was sentenced to 2 years in Federal Prison.

Letcher County

• Circuit Judge Larry D. Collins was indicted for accepting bribes in 1993
• Former Fleming Neon Mayor James H. Seals was indicted for providing false information to FEMA
• Former Fleming Neon Police Chief Danny Neil Yonts helped robbed a bank in 1999 and was sentenced to 5 years in Federal prison.
• Commonwealth's Attorney James Wiley Craft plead guilty to subornation of perjury.

Perry County

• Perry County school Superintendent Kenneth Colwell was indicted on 13 counts of theft by deception and jury tampering in 1983.
• Judge-Executive Sherman Neace plead guilty to felony mail fraud and was sent to Federal prison.
• William R. Strong of Hazard was indicted under operation BOPTROT

Floyd County

• Long time Magistrate Kenneth Roberts was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for using the county credit card to pay for personal expenses. His conviction was overturned.
• Floyd County Clerk Thomas Lafferty Jr was charged with theft
• Deputy Judge-Executive Thomas Lafferty Sr was also charged in the same theft scheme
• Floyd County Magistrate Ed Caudill was charged with theft

Leslie County

• Leslie County Sheriff Ford Bowling was indicted for misappropriating taxes in the mid 1990s.
• Judge Executive Allen Muncy was convicted in a scheme to buy absentee ballots in the early 1980's, the conviction was overturned in 1988.
• Current Leslie County Democratic Chairman Edmund Collett was also convicted in the same scheme, the conviction was overturned in 1988.

State Senate

• Johnny Ray Turner plead guilty to misdemeanor vote buying.
• Landon Sexton from Pine Knot was convicted under operation BOPTROT

District Judge

• Judge James Henry Noble was convicted of obstruction of justice and spent 10 months in prison. He served Breathitt, Wolfe and Powell counties.

Kentucky Democratic Party

• Harlan County native and former Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party Jerry Johnson was convicted of felony cocaine possession in 1982.

Honorable Mention

Distant uncle, Former Kentucky Secretary Of State and United States Congressman Caleb Powers (R) was sent to prison for his alleged role in the murder of Kentucky Gov. William Goebel in 1900 but was pardoned in 1908. He has the honor to have been the only U.S. Congressman to have served on death row. 

With Clinton's Racism and Obama's Anti-American Pastor the Dems are Looking Nutty

Gerry's off color - and by some accounts racist remarks toward Obama - yielded her a first class trip to has-been-ville and Hillary's campaign has been in damage control mode ever since. Now we have Obama's pastor being exposed as truly anti-American and Obama's campaign is in damage control mode as well.

The last 48 hours I have had 10 good Democrats - conservative turned Democrats but still good party people - tell me they will either NOT vote in the general and or will cross the road and cast their vote for McCain. The revelation in regards to the insane comments from Barack Obama's pastor pushed them over the red edge. Most of them are not Hillary fans.

McCain can just sit quietly and let the two Democrats either throw grenades at each other or better yet let them pull the pin on themselves. Now neither one can be held personally responsible for the comments or beliefs of someone close to them but politically it is poison that has no antidote.

Obama has denounced the comments from his former pastor and is urging his campaign and the public to move on, but when you mix politics and religion it creates a volatile mix of emotions and acidic overtones that strikes at the very core of ones beliefs. The transgressions of America's past is kept alive in popular media and political activism. Why? emotional subject matter sells, period, and many in that sordid industry of hate make a wonderful living keeping racial tensions alive and well.

I have a receipt hanging on my wall, it was the receipt that belonged to my 5th Great Grandfather Eldridge Vaughn. This receipt is an itemized list of his family's belongings and he was paid $292.50 to get out and walk his and his family's asses to Oklahoma at gun point. The receipt is recorded in the Cherokee Trail of Tears Roll and he took their money and told the U.S. Army to F OFF. Many stories surround his death, but the one I like the most is the one where he took a few with him.

The point is this, America has a horrible past and we will never be able to advance while reliving that past. Remember who you are and celebrate it but do not lose your soul because of it.   

Governor Beshear; House Budget Could Paralyze State

Another round of words in the ongoing saga in Frankfort. Governor Steve Beshear (D) is fearful of the newly passed House budget because of the loss of 3,300 state jobs and the FACT that is would likely paralyze parts of state government. """"I think there are going to be people all across the board" whose open jobs won't be filled, Beshear said. "It could be social workers. It could be managers. Obviously, in the end, we'll deal with it in terms of running the government, but it just needs to be clear what the effect of this is going to be."""" Where is House Speaker Richards in all this? Why is Rep. Harry Moberly running amok and seemingly leading this body? Or should I say his egotistical actions is driving a huge wedge between them and the Administration. In either scenario it is a shinning example of the leaderless leadership in the State House, maybe someone will step up and take on ole bottled orange hair.

Grayson's Rotating Regional Presidential Primaries Plan receives endorsement

LT. Governor Daniel Mongiardo (D) and Secretary of State Trey Grayson (R) seem to have teamed up to bring Grayson's nationally recognized plan for rotating regional presidential primaries a major endorsement from the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association. NLGA voted to support this initiative for the 2012 elections.

With the debacle that is this year's Democratic Presidential primary, it would only make sense to get behind this Super Tuesday times 4 plan.

The NASS Subcommittee on Presidential Primaries, co-chaired by Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson and Iowa Secretary of State Michael Mauro, is leading the effort by secretaries of state to urge state and national political party leaders to adopt a regional primary system in accordance with their party rules.

“I am grateful to the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association for the foresight to endorse a plan that will best address the front-loading problem in our presidential primary calendar,” stated Secretary of State Trey Grayson.  “In particular, I appreciate Kentucky Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo, who took the time to meet with me on this important issue and whose support helped make this endorsement possible.”

....

“I am proud to lend my support—and that the NLGA has lent its support—to a plan that addresses this highly important and pressing national issue,” said Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo. “The show of bipartisanship and attitude of cooperation that has been displayed in support of this plan demonstrates that individuals of all political affiliations are ready for a change to our current system. I appreciate all the hard work Secretary of State Trey Grayson has put into it.”

State House Passes Budget

As the storm died down over the last week in the State House, a budget has managed to get approval. A $19 billion two year state budget overwhelmingly passed the House today. This budget uses the estimates, I say so called, $800 million in revenue generated by HB406. Roughly half of that $800 million will be raised via cutting nearly 4000 state jobs, not layoffs, attrition.

That is some of that funny money Governor Beshear talked about. But now it appears the house somewhat united and steamrolled this budget through but the Republican controlled Senate will likely take a chainsaw to it. So should we be thankful for the budget we may get? Or should we rebuke it?

I Filed a Complaint Against Say No To Casinos

Real simple; Say No To Casinos is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, they are limited by law in regards to the amount of lobbying they can do. I believe they participate in excessive lobbying. Thats it. I will not say much more than that, let the people who governs these sort of things figure it out.

Former Sheriff's Killer Goes on Trial, Some Harlan County Ghosts Will have Their Say

Page One called it, so what. If anything could get my attention, it is this. I was managing part of Joseph Grieshop's reelection campaign for Harlan County Judge Executive when former Sheriff and candidate for Sheriff that year, Paul Browning Jr. was murdered on the Bell and Harlan line.

One ominous observation from one local Old Timer said "now this feels like Harlan County", the day of Browning's murder. Only thing I done was carry an extra clip with my Glock 26 and keep going, no sense in hiding under the bed. But being involved in the races that year, I did watch out a bit more.

A notorious alleged drug dealer, Raymond Harris, is going on trial in Bell County Circuit Court tomorrow for Murder and other charges.

County: BELL Division: CIRCUIT Date: 3/12/2008 Room: 2
09:25 AM
05-CR-00139 COMMONWEALTH VS. HARRIS, RAYMOND
(JURY TRIAL)
1 0091500 MURDER NA
2 0200040 ARSON, 2ND DEG NA
3 0502305 COMP TAMPERING WITH PHYSICAL EVIDENCE NA
4 0502305 COMP TAMPERING WITH PHYSICAL EVIDENCE NA

The arson charge I suspect is for setting Brownings body on fire after someone put a couple of bullets in it or through it. Now don't get me wrong, no one deserves to die like this and I hope they hang the people who done it, but many in Harlan County believe the truth will be as elusive as that headless woman who supposedly roams KY38 near Golden Ash. In English that means we will never know the truth.

A few days or a day before the murder Raymond Harris and his nephew Dewayne Harris along with Edna Harris video taped Browning while they gave him a couple grand in illegal campaign cash and he told of his plans to put a bullet in the head of the former deputy that ratted him out for planing the murder of 3 political rivals in the early 1980's. Conspiracy to Commit Murder yielded then Harlan County Sheriff Browning a few years in the Kentucky State Pen in Eddyville. Everyone thought he was shit nuts to run for Sheriff after he received his voting rights back. But the funny thing is, he may have won the Democratic primary that year. As amazing as it sounds, he had his fans in Harlan County and he was a pure silver tongued devil.

Now we sit back and see what happens in this long awaited trial. Rumors are flying of big surprises and public officials going down. Edna Harris mysteriously died in jail shortly after her arrest, Dewayne Harris was arrested for selling cocaine and apparently the charges were amended to simple possession, it seemed at one time the fix was in. Now a few expect Edna Harris to magically rise from the dead and walk into the courtroom to testify. Of course many people believe she is alive and well in the witness protection program.

I never could figure out why Dewayne and Raymond Harris would have killed Paul Browning. After all they had the goods on him with the hidden video, that also found its way into the hands of then Sheriff Steve Duff almost magically just before or just after the murder. It was a real head spinning situation, but most kept their mouth's shut and minded their own business. I will not be doing too much speculating on this one, might be hazardous to ones health but I will be following this real close.

If I can keep from losing my temper, I might keep blogging, I will take it day to day.      

We are on Vacation

The photo above is a Chickamagua Cherokee War Mask. Most of my Native American Blood is Chickamagua Cherokee, I am proud to say. We may be back, we may not.

Stop This Native American Legislation!

This is a copy of an email blast I sent the Kentucky Native American Rights Group. I ask everyone that reads this to use the links below and contact Sen. Julie Denton and Sen. Tom Buford, Chair and Vice-Chair of the State Senate Health and Welfare Committee, and tell them to stop HB428 and HB429. Copy and paste the explanation below if you wish, but please use the links and tell them to stop this legislation.

We have had an amazing response from our group in regards to the fight against House Bill 428 and House Bill 429. But I am asking you to do more, please keep the pressure on the Kentucky State Senate and demand they kill these House Bills.

These two pieces of proposed legislation could be devastating for our people in Kentucky if they are passed. As of now the legislation is residing in the Kentucky State Senate Health and Welfare Committee. Please Email Chairwoman Senator Julie Denton and Vice Chairman Senator Tom Buford today and tell them to stop House Bill 428 and House Bill 429 from advancing.

If you choose you can copy and paste the explanation below. Please tell them to stop this legislation.

Reasons:

HB428: This proposed legislation, if passed, would supersede the Federal definition for a Native American and if passed could possibly prohibit intertribal membership because of the language "Tribe of origin" attached to the end of HB428. Example: If a Native American is defined in this manner and one can only be defined in this way, a Cherokee who is a member of a Shawnee Tribe would not be considered a Native American under this legislation. This would devastate the Native American people of Kentucky.

HB429: This legislation claims to provide a method for official State Tribal Recognition in Kentucky. This is a redundant and otherwise counterproductive method of recommendation to a sitting governor for an executive order for recognition. Executive Orders in regards to American Indian Tribal Recognition holds no legal water and if this bill is passed would effectively setback the fight for real state legislative recognition for many years.

Please do not allow these House Bills to be considered for a vote in your committee.

Sen. Julie Denton [Chair] Email Form Here!
Sen. Tom Buford [Vice Chair] Email Form Here


Again the Native American people of Kentucky appreciate your support and hopefully we can win this fight.

William Shackleford

Proud Member of the:
Piqua Shawnee
Kentucky Native American Indian Council
Kentucky Native American Rights Group
Ridgetop Shawnee

For updates please visit The Rural Democrat

The Kentucky Native American Rights Group does not represent in any way any Tribe and or Native American Association or Committee or Group. The content of this message is the sole opinion of the Kentucky Native American Rights Group ONLY.