STATE DRUG POLICY OFFICIALS TESTIFY IN HIRING INQUIRY

Other Witnesses Include Bushey

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The special grand jury investigating state hiring heard
from employees of the Office of Drug Control Policy and other witnesses
yesterday. And the state Personnel Board, conducting its own investigation
into allegations of illegal hiring, elected as chairman a man whom Gov.
Ernie Fletcher appointed to the board in June after its investigation
began. Heather Wainscott, a branch manager in the drug policy office, and
Berry Hammermeister, a staff assistant, declined to comment on their grand
jury testimony. But Wainscott's lawyer, John Baughman, said, "She had no
reason to plead the Fifth (Amendment) or otherwise not testify.

I'd be surprised if she didn't answer all the questions they have." Teresa
Barton, executive director of the drug policy office, was out of the office
yesterday and could not be reached for comment. Barton, former
judge-executive of Franklin County, was one of the highest-profile
Democrats to support Fletcher for governor during the 2003 campaign. Barton
said in June that the grand jury had subpoenaed her office for records of
personnel actions related to the office's eight merit system workers. And a
Nov. 6, 2003, document filed in court with the heading "Requested by Teresa
Barton, Franklin County Judge/Executive" has a list of personnel actions.

The document doesn't say whether the jobs are for merit or non-merit
positions. Also appearing before the grand jury yesterday was Bill Bushey,
the former park director at Kentucky Dam Village. Bushey was director from
October 2004 until April, when he was fired within the six-month
probationary period, he said. He said the grand jury asked him whether he
was fired for political reasons. "I told them I didn't know," Bushey said.
Bushey told reporters that a state Republican official called him this
spring to rent an activity center at the park for the GOP before this
summer's Fancy Farm political picnic.

But he said he told Russ Randall, GOP chairman of the 1st Congressional
District, that the center was booked and not available. Randall said he was
told that Democrats had rented the center.

But he said he wasn't upset and never discussed the matter with officials
in Frankfort. Chris Gilligan, a spokesman for the Commerce Cabinet, said
that Bushey voluntarily resigned and that cabinet officials weren't aware
of the GOP's request for the activity center until after Bushey left. The
grand jury also heard from Juanita Ethridge of Glencoe, Ky. In May 2004,
John Stanton, the Northern Kentucky representative for Fletcher's
then-Local Initiatives for a New Kentucky office, wrote in an e-mail
message that Ethridge had complained that her son, a Transportation Cabinet
employee in Gallatin County, was passed over for a promotion. "We're taking
care of her son," Dick Murgatroyd, then-deputy transportation secretary,
replied to Stanton in an e-mail message. "He will be getting same grade and
salary as the other guy. I had to promote the other man first, as he had
seniority and was much more qualified.

I understand Juanita runs Gallatin County? Call if you need more details.

By the way, the Gov's office is on board with this." Ethridge, who
yesterday identified herself as a registered Democrat, gave Fletcher $1,000
during the 2003 campaign. She would not comment on her testimony. A man who
would not identify himself testified before Ethridge did. At its meeting
yesterday, the Personnel Board voted 6-1 to elect Jack C. Smith Jr. of
Lexington as chairman.

Smith is on Fletcher's merit system task force. Ann Aukerman, a merit
system employee member of the board, was the only board member to vote
against Smith. Fletcher's office has questioned the ability of Aukerman --
a Republican who voted for Fletcher -- to conduct a fair investigation. "I
thought it would be most appropriate for someone who is not closely
affiliated with the governor to be chair," Aukerman said. Smith could not
be reached for comment. Fletcher's office hired Smith on an $8,000 contract
last year to study ways to make government more efficient. Smith completed
the work, but the governor's office said there is no report to release publicly.