EKB News

State Senator Johnny Ray Turner is still in legal trouble despite seeing one of the charges against him dismissed. 56 year old Turner (D-Drift), a two term Senator and his cousin and campaign manager, 52 year old Glenn Turner, of Pikeville, were indicted last year on charges of mail fraud and vote-fraud conspiracy in connection with a 2000 victory over former state Sen. Benny Ray Bailey. The U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Turner’s favor in August stating that a federal mail-fraud statute cannot be used to prosecute vote fraud. And now a federal grand jury in Lexington has revised its indictment against the two-term incumbent. The mail fraud charge against the Turners was dropped this week, but both are still charged with one count each of conspiring to buy votes in 2000 by laundering illegal campaign contributions provided by the late Ross Harris of Pikeville.