Another story the MSM won't publish

Local judge reprimanded

By Mark White, The Corbin News-Journal

White made unethical campaign donation, judicial board says

The Judicial Conduct Commission has publicly reprimanded two area district court judges for making political contributions to a candidate beside themselves after they had already filed to run for office.

The reprimands involve Whitley and McCreary Judge Fred White and Knox and Laurel Judge John P. Chappell, and $200 contributions that each made to Scott Alexander's state senate campaign.

Alexander was the Democratic nominee in a February special election to replace Daniel Mongiardo who was elected Lt. Governor. Both Mongiardo and Gov. Steve Beshear both strongly backed Alexander in his unsuccessful senate bid.

White and Chappell both filed to run for their respective offices on Dec. 12, 2007.

Chappell made his contribution on Jan. 19. Beshear appointed him as 27th Judicial District Division Two District Judge on Jan. 28.

White made his contribution to Alexander's campaign on Jan. 19, and Beshear appointed him as 34th Judicial District Division Two District Judge on March 14.

The Kentucky Code of Judicial Conduct Canon Five bars judges or judicial candidates from making contributions to political candidates beside themselves.

"A judge or a candidate for election to judicial office shall not solicit funds for or pay an assessment or make a contribution to a political organization or candidate," the canon states.

In both orders, which are identical except for the names and dates, the commission notes that each candidate "self-reported" the violation and "fully cooperated" with the Commission in its consideration of the matter.

"Upon consideration of his agreement to accept this disposition without formal proof, the Commission finds and it is hereby ordered and adjudged that for the foregoing violation" Fred F. White and John P. Chappell "should be and hereby is publicly reprimanded."

According to the Kentucky Court of Justice website, the Judicial Conduct Commission is the only entity authorized under the Kentucky Constitution to take disciplinary action against a sitting Kentucky judge.

The Commission investigates and reviews complaints against judges and, when warranted, conducts hearings regarding the alleged misconduct where evidence is presented.

Possible sanctions for misconduct range from confidential reprimands for minor technical violations to removal from office for major misconduct, according to the state website.

Chappell has said previously that he was unaware that he couldn't make donations to another campaign after becoming a candidate for judge.

White declined to comment on the reprimand Tuesday morning noting that he feels he has already addressed the matter adequately.

In a March 11 interview with the News Journal, White said he didn't knowingly violate any judicial conduct rules, and described the matter as an honest mistake that he tried to correct.

White said he didn't know Alexander and made the donation at the request of his old college roommate, who was also the best man at his wedding.

"My college roommate asked me to help him. He was like a brother to me so I did that," White said. "If I had thought there was any problem, I wouldn't have done that."

White said he knew judges weren't allowed to make donations, but didn't know the same thing applied to judicial candidates until after he read a newspaper story about Chappell's donation.

White said he self-reported the matter to the judicial conduct commission, contacted Alexander's campaign, and got his money back shortly after reading the article.

The Judicial Conduct Commission issued its order concerning Chappell on May 23, and its order concerning White on June 23.

The News Journal learned of the reprimands after an unidentified woman walked into the Corbin office Tuesday morning, laid copies of them on a reporter's desk and abruptly walked out.

Comments

Beshear just blew his re-elect. Conservative democrats will even choke on that one.

Since this is the gambling governor, anyone taking bets on how long it will take Scorscone to marry the first same sex couple?

In Chappell's case, it wa far from self reporting as he first denied it when Ryan Alessi of the Lexington Herald questioned him on the subject. After the Herald Leader ran the story then Chappell reported himself to beat his opponents from reporting him first. Likewise, his 200 dollars was given with a series of contributions from his friends and supporters that added up to about 4000 as all was given from Laurel and Knox county in a 2 day period to a candidate in Hazrd that had nothing to do with either county. Chappell received the appointment days later. Also the the Commission is a joke as they waited three days after the primary to publically reprimand Chappell, who was able to down play it in the primary election by saying no action had been taken against him. Also the commission did not question any of the other four running in the primary as to what they had heard or seen about Chappell as to the appointment. Not very professional but very political. Now Chappell is caught up in another controversy already. He along with Gilbert Holland advanced to the general election this fall. Chappell received heavy support from the Democrats and from some Republicans led by County Clerk Dean Johnson. There is a federal investigation of how some Dems tried to influence Jackie Steele to help him get the appointment as Commonwealth attorney if he would be favorable to them and some of their friends with legal problems. Steele received the appointment and then reported the local dems and republicans who offered this deal to the feds. This being the same deal apparently given to Chappell which he took. As if you buy an appointment then you may have to sell your integrity. Hopefully the feds will clean up this mess as the local Dems are still pushing Chappell hard along with some Republicans who like someone they can influence.

Not just the nominees for judge, but now the judicial nominating commission itself for Knox and Laurel County is coming under scrutiny, according to the Corbin Times-Tribune. Apparently, the two "Republicans" that Beshear appointed to the nominating commission -- Ruthie Hoskins and Everett Morgan -- were both Democrats two weeks before their appointment, and they are related to two influential Democrats in Laurel County. Ruthie is James "Hoss" Hoskins' wife, and Everett is McKinley Morgan's brother. McKinley's law partner, Leonard Brashear, is the only Democrat running for the vacant Supreme Court seat, and he was not even placed on the list of nominees sent to the governor (by a different nominating commission). That speaks volumes about how much influence these guys have lost since the federal investigation began. I wish John Chappell had not exposed himself to being so beholden to these people. He's a good man, as far as I know, but 9:56's comments make me wonder about what he had to do to gain their support and influence.

Chappell made it through the May primary because the London newspaper, The Sentinel-Echo, only did one story on the subject which was so slanted toward Chappell as it portrayed the matter as a minor mistake for which the paper reported that according to Chappell that God and his church had forgiven him for this tiny error in judgement. What the paper failed to say is that the publisher of the Sentinel Echo, Willie Sawyers, has a son, Matt, who was given the deputy Chief of Staff job at the old Governors Office of Local Development at the first of the year by Beshear. In the Republican county of Laurel, there are never no bad stories in the paper about the Governor or his appointments as most locals there no nothing of the matter and believe Chappell to be a great guy because the politcos at the Courthosue say he is the one to be for if you want your speeding tickets fixed. Help.

Where is the US Attorneys office or even Jack Conway with all this going on down there?

The Judicial Conduct Commission acts as an arm of the KDP. Take a look at the Chair, Steve Wolnitzek. Protect Beshear at all costs!!!

Willie Sawyers always struck me as slimy. I've known him for more than 20 years and always felt like I needed to take a shower after any encounter with him.

What's a GOP town/county like London/Laurel doing with such a Democratic newspaper anyway? First time I ever met Al Smith, the consummate liberal journalist, he was working at the Sentinel-Echo.

[An Old Marine]

As usual the Taxacrats say one thing and do another. If it had been a Republican, it would be headline news fro the People Republic of Louisville to West Virginia.
By the way, these are judges right, shouldn't they know the law.

Of course the media will ignore this. In accord with its own precedent, these two judges should have been suspended, but everyone knows the JCC is a joke. Wolnitzek controls the JCC, hates Republicans, sued the Fletcher administration every chance he got, and was a big donor to Chandler and Beshear. Do we really expect the Democrat Donor Chair to take meaningful action against Democrat appointees who make donations to the Governor's choice for a Senate seat?

[truth]

Hey big talkers! How about putting your name with your comments.