EKB News

A special grand jury has completed a report about the hiring practices of Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration and presented it to a judge on Tuesday. Franklin County Circuit Judge Reed Rhorer said the report would be held under seal. He said that he would allow the Fletcher administration to review it before it is released to the public. The special grand jury began investigating state hiring decisions in June 2005 and charged Fletcher in May with alleged conspiracy, official misconduct and political discrimination. The charges were dropped in August. Several current and former state employees who appeared before the grand jury alleged they had been discriminated against by the Republican administration because of their political leanings. They claimed to have been passed over for promotions, transferred, demoted or fired. Rhorer said Fletcher's attorneys would have an opportunity to object to any findings in the report before it is released. Prosecutor Scott Crawford-Sutherland said "there's no valid reason for this report not to be presented to the public and soon."