This time, it’s ethical problems based on the Pike County state representative’s failure to disclose his wife’s job for the past 7 years. This news is also interesting because Pike County has non-attorneys signing warrants to have people arrested and signing protective orders. The $7,200 salary is not a large amount, but it appears there are no regular hours required, making it a very limited contribution of effort required for the $7,200 annual payment.
In another surprising turn, the Legislative Ethics Commission says Hall will not face any penalty. Seems it has not issued such penalties when inaccuracies are caught, according to Anthony Wilhoit, the commission’s executive director. Even in cases like this, when the violation has occurred for 7 years, and when Hall did not catch the violation, but was caught by a reporter, Wilhoit says that there is no penalty, because the inaccuracy has been caught.
More great work by John Cheves:
State Rep. Keith Hall, D-Phelps, has failed for seven years to disclose to a state ethics panel that his wife holds a part-time salaried position with the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
Stephanie Hall is paid $7,200 a year, according to the AOC. As one of three trial commissioners in Pike District Court, Stephanie Hall is sometimes asked to sign paperwork — such as warrants or protective orders — if one of the two judges cannot easily be reached. She is not a lawyer.
Like all lawmakers, Keith Hall is required every year to list his household’s sources of income with the Legislative Ethics Commission so that ethics officials and the public can be aware of possible conflicts of interest as he acts in the General Assembly.
But Keith Hall has failed to list his wife’s state job on his financial disclosure reports, listing her only as an officer in businesses that he owns. She was hired as a trial commissioner in April 2002 by Judge Kelsey Friend Jr.
The omission was not intentional, Keith Hall said in an interview. Until the Herald-Leader inquired, he said, it did not occur to him to disclose it.
“I just don’t have no answer for that,” he said. “It might have just been an oversight that I need to correct.”
Later, Keith Hall issued a formal statement apologizing for his error and pledging to file an amended report that includes his wife’s state job.
Is Hall a graduate of the mcconnell school of political chicanery, duplicity and diengeuous dialogue designed to obfuscate, mislead and confuse issues and people.