Ky. Governor Says Charges Untrue

Gov. Paul E. Patton filed a formal response Monday to ethics charges against him, denying that he violated state laws by doing favors for an ex-mistress.

He is accused of creating a conflict of interest by intervening on behalf of Tina Conner and her friends and business interests. Patton has acknowledged having an affair with Conner but has consistently denied misusing his office.

In his tightly worded response to the ethics charges, Patton denied that his alleged actions, even if true, violated ethics laws or amounted to a conflict of interest. It also said part of the ethics commission’s complaint -- an assertion that Patton acted in derogation of the state and the public interest -- is “too vague and overbroad to be enforced.”

The Executive Branch Ethics Commission, which has only civil jurisdiction, issued the four charges March 25.

It said it found probable cause to believe Patton intervened to get certification as a “disadvantaged business” for a construction company owned by Conner and her husband, Seth. That entitled the company to preferential treatment in the awarding of state highway contracts. No contract was awarded, according to the administration.

The commission also said that Patton influenced a decision by the state’s vehicle enforcement agency to promote a friend of Tina Conner. The other charges allege that it was because of the affair that Conner was appointed to the Kentucky Lottery Corp. board of directors and that her husband, Seth, was appointed to the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board.

Patton has said he cannot remember making a call on behalf of Tina Conner’s friend but would not deny it. He also has said that he asked the state’s secretary of Transportation to look at Conner’s application for disadvantaged business status, but that he would do the same for anyone who asked and that he did not order anyone to approve the application.

When the charges were filed, Patton said he had “made mistakes in my private life, but I have not abused my office.”

“I am confident that when the commission’s hearing is completed, that fact will be clear to the citizens of Kentucky,” he added.

If the charges are upheld after a hearing, Patton could face a $5,000 fine and a public reprimand. State and federal prosecutors are also investigating.