Who knew?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Randall <rvh40 () insightbb com>
Date: May 9, 2006 3:19:50 PM EDT
To: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>, JMG  
<johnmacsgroup () yahoogroups com>, cyberia <CYBERIA-L () LISTSERV AOL COM>
Subject: Who knew?

Subject: KY Governor gives up email to avoid subpoenas. Imagine his
surprise to learn that Blackberry messages can be subpoenaed too!
===============

http://www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/news/state/14531087.htm

Attorney general wants governor's BlackBerry
05/09/06


By Roger Alford
Associated Press

FRANKFORT -- Prosecutors want to see electronic messages sent to and
from a handheld electronic communications device that Gov. Ernie
Fletcher uses.

Deputy Attorney General Pierce Whites filed a motion in Franklin County
Circuit Court on Monday asking a judge to order the messages be turned
over.

Special Judge William J. Wehr scheduled a hearing for 9:30 a.m. EDT on
Friday.

Fletcher said last month that he no longer has an e-mail account, opting
instead for text messaging on a BlackBerry device paid for by his
campaign committee.

E-mails are at the core of an ongoing special grand jury investigation
into allegations that the Fletcher administration rewarded political
supporters with state jobs after he took office two years ago.

A grand jury began investigating last May after a Transportation Cabinet
personnel officer turned over hundreds of internal administration
e-mails and memos to the attorney general's office.

So far, the special grand jury has indicted 13 current or former
administration officials and associates for violating state personnel
laws. Fletcher issued a blanket pardon for everyone who has been or
might be indicted in the case with one exception -- he did not pardon
himself.

Prosecutors have searched and seized computers assigned to multiple
administration officials and documents released through the court have
listed electronic mail as evidence.

Fletcher spokesman Brett Hall said the motion filed Monday, like the
overall investigation, is politically motivated.

"This is just more nonsense by the attorney general's office," Hall
said. "They want to continue their investigation to somehow justify the
wasting of millions of dollars in taxpayer money. This thing is coming
to a close and they're coming up empty handed. It's an act of
desperation on their part."

Whites said digital messages from the governor's BlackBerry should have
already been turned over to prosecutors under the same subpoena that
netted Fletcher's office computer.

Prosecutors didn't know Fletcher had the BlackBerry until they read
about it in newspaper articles, Whites said.

Whites said the governor began using the BlackBerry last year, at about
the same time he was subpoenaed to testify before the special grand
jury. He said the device is paid for by the Kentucky Republican Party.

The grand jury was expected to disband next week, but Whites said Monday
that may not happen.

"We've been cautioning the governor's lawyers for a week or two that if
they fail to turn over this evidence, we may have to extend the term of
the grand jury," he said. "With every passing day, it becomes more
likely that the grand jury will have to be extended."

--
"The people who still support George Bush are the same people who
believe Adam and Eve rode to church on the backs of dinosaurs". -  SNL



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