Ky. Governor's Ex-Chief of Staff Charged
By MARK R. CHELLGREN
Associated Press Writer
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- A special grand jury examining alleged political hiring by Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration on Friday indicted his former chief of staff and a representative of his local outreach office.
Daniel Groves, who resigned as chief of staff in the past month, and Vince Fields were each charged with three counts of violating state personnel laws to fill state jobs with Republicans.
The grand jury previously charged nine current and former members of Fletcher's administration, including high-ranking officials and the chairman of the state Republican Party.
Fletcher in August issued a decree pardoning the nine, as well as anyone else the grand jury might accuse except himself. He later fired several employees, including Fields and four of those indicted previously.
"These are good people and they don't deserve this," Fletcher said in a statement issued after Friday's indictments.
Prosecutor Scott Crawford-Sutherland said he does not believe Fletcher's earlier decree covers the latest charges.
"You can pardon an individual, but you can't pardon a broad subject matter," he said.
Groves' attorney Paul Harnice called the indictments "ridiculous" and part of a "smear campaign" by prosecutors.
Fields' attorney did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The new indictments come a day after Fletcher's office announced that Commerce Secretary Jim Host is stepping down. Host, like the governor, declined to testify before the grand jury.
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