GORMAN CALLS RIVAL STUMBO 'SOFT ON DRUGS'

Candidates Trade Jabs As to Who'd Be Best Attorney General

The battle of words among Democratic hopefuls for attorney general
grew harsher yesterday as Chris Gorman, a former tenant of the office,
labeled House Majority Leader Greg Stumbo "soft on drugs" for seeking
release last fall of an Eastern Kentucky doctor in prison for drug
offenses.

Stumbo later issued a statement saying that Gorman failed during his
last watch to stem an already "rampant" statewide drug problem when he
had a chance.

Some time ago, Stumbo staked out the state's drug problem as his top
issue.

At a Lexington press conference that Gorman called to position himself
on the issue, he attacked Stumbo for filing a court plea for the
release of Dr. Gregory Wells.

Wells and a former state trooper were convicted in a high-profile,
eight-day trial in Pikeville. The Inez physician was sentenced in July
1998 to six and a half years for a variety of illegal activities
involving prescription pain pills.

Wells had served about four years when Stumbo, acting as his attorney,
sought his release. The appeal failed.

Stumbo, of Prestonsburg, and Gorman are competing in the May 20
Democratic party primary, along with State Auditor Frank Hatchett of
Frankfort.

Gorman, a Louisville lawyer, was attorney general between 1992 and
1996. He began his press conference by announcing his own 10-point
anti-drug platform, but paused midstream to criticize Stumbo.

Handing out copies of an early February article from an Eastern
Kentucky newspaper, Gorman said Stumbo's decision to take Wells' case
was "no way for any candidate to act -- to support someone who is
violating the laws of Kentucky and to ask for early release of a
convicted felon."

"I think it sets a tone that he is soft on drugs and it will be a
major issue in the campaign," Gorman said.

In his reply, Stumbo questioned the depth of Gorman's drug-fighting
commitment: "Drug use was rampant and on the increase when Mr. Gorman
was attorney general; however, he never once stepped into the
courtroom to help battle the problem."

Stumbo said there is "no reason to believe that he will do anything to
the contrary if elected again."

Stumbo said he stood by a previous explanation: that he tried to get
Wells released because he agreed with others who felt the doctor
should spend the rest of his sentence working in a Martin County
clinic for indigent families instead of in prison.

He didn't say what Wells could do there. Wells surrendered his medical
license after his conviction.

Gorman's proposed drug plan would include specialized training for
local prosecutors, and creation of a traveling squad of assistant
attorneys general to help them.

Stumbo has proposed stationing similar special assistants around the
state, and has promised to personally prosecute some cases.

Gorman called personal appearances a poor use of the attorney
general's time.Gorman