Governor’s Ex-Mistress Is Indicted

Gov. Paul E. Patton’s former mistress was indicted Wednesday on a federal charge of mail fraud which alleged she improperly applied to have a business certified for special treatment by the government.

Tina Conner is accused of fraudulently applying to get a construction company run by her former husband certified as a “disadvantaged business enterprise” under a federal program that sets aside contracts for companies operated primarily by women and minorities.

Conner, who had a two-year affair with Patton, claims the governor used the power of his office to aid and then to ruin her nursing home business. Patton has acknowledged the affair but denied misusing his power.

The indictment, returned by a federal grand jury in Covington, says Conner and her former husband, Seth, formed ST Construction for the purpose of getting the certification in Tina Conner’s name while actually providing work for Seth Conner.

Patton has admitted that he asked officials at the Transportation Cabinet to review the application for ST Construction, but he said he would do the same for anyone who asked and that he did not order anyone to approve the application. He is not named in the indictment.

Tina Conner’s attorney, Thomas E. Clay, said it was “an ironic twist” that Conner, a private citizen trying to blow the whistle on alleged government impropriety, should be the only one under indictment.

Mark Pfeiffer, a spokesman for the Transportation Cabinet, said he would not comment during the investigation.