This is an AP story that got no national coverage. I first read about it at JammieWearingFool. This newer and virtually uncirculated story from AP (that I found in the Ashland Kentucky Daily Independent) says: "Prosecutors claim they were involved in a scheme to extort money from political candidates that was then used to bribe voters and in 2002, 2004 and 2006 in Clay County, about 170 miles southeast of Louisville.
"Some voters were bribed at the voting booths, an indictment said, and some officials allegedly told voters to use booths incorrectly so they could later change the tallies."
In a new wrinkle one of the defendants is a judge, Russell Cletus Maricle, who has been denied bail because, "prosecutors claimed Maricle tried to influence witnesses and could do it again if freed before trial.
"Wier's bluntly written ruling, handed down in London, said the issue boiled down to whether Maricle would obstruct justice, or attempt to do so, if released.
"Wier said "no set of conditions will reasonably assure against the danger that defendant would, if released pending trial, obstruct or attempt to obstruct justice."
"Federal officials claim Maricle directed a cooperating witness on how to testify before the grand jury investigating the Clay County case. An FBI agent said audio recordings indicated Maricle encouraged the witness to mislead or withhold information from the grand jury.
"Prosecutors also claim Maricle tried to find out the home addresses of that FBI agent and two other investigators and what vehicles they drove. The FBI agent also said investigators searching Maricle's home found a Clay County precinct list that included the names of people alleged to have been involved in voter fraud."
It is my sense that a judge would not deny another judge bail without very good reason. Unfortunately for the news hungry masses, the press finds Michelle Obama's wardrobe choices much more important than the defense of the ballot.
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