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Grand jury to hear recorder complaint(Paducah Sun, The (KY) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 25--BENTON, Ky. -- -- A Marshall grand jury will decide if criminal charges are warranted against anyone in Bruce Lunsford's senatorial campaign for allegedly tampering with a tape recorder used by a campaign aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell. Marshall County Sheriff Kevin Byars is expected to complete his investigation on Monday of a complaint filed Thursday after Lunsford and McConnell participated in a debate at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park. The Four Rivers Business Journal, a publication of The Paducah Sun, sponsored the debate. The complaint alleges theft and destruction of property. Lunsford denied any wrongdoing and said he and his staff cooperated with the investigation. He said it was a petty incident blown out of proportion by the McConnell campaign to divert attention from issues such as the war in Iraq and the economy. Assistant County Attorney Jason Darnell said that if the McConnell campaign wants to pursue the case, he'll present the facts to the next Marshall grand jury and ask its members to decide what, if any, charges should be filed. The grand jury meets Nov. 12. Darnell said he continues to research the law, but said a statute related to improper access to computers could apply because it involves a recording device. Richard St. Onge III, a staffer with the National Republican Senatorial Committee who is assisting the McConnell re-election campaign, had placed his tape recorder on Lunsford's podium before the debate and without Lunsford's knowledge. Lunsford said he discovered the recorder midway through the debate. After it was over, he picked up the recorder and gave it to a member of his staff who admitted erasing the contents. Lunsford said placing the tape recorder on his podium without his knowledge amounted to eavesdropping because it was hidden under a notepad debate organizers placed there so he could take notes. However, he said he won't consider filing charges because he wants to spend the rest of the campaign talking about important issues and not tape recorders. Lunsford said the McConnell campaign apparently was hoping that he'd say something in a private conversation or under his breath that it could use against him. It was erased because Lunsford staff members felt the recording was improper, Lunsford said. The recorder was returned to St. Onge after he asked the sheriff to intervene. Senate President David Williams said Lunsford's action amounted to a dirty trick. He said there was other important material on the recorder from other campaign events. He also said it is possible that Lunsford copied the contents of the recorder and obtained confidential campaign information. Lunsford said that didn't happen. Bill Bartleman can be contacted at 575-8651. To see more of The Paducah Sun, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.paducahsun.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Paducah Sun, Ky. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |