Awkward.
Dr. Jack Ditty defended his campaign’s sleazy sneak attack and secret ambush recording of Senator Robin Webb in a predictable way: Deny, deny, deny. In fact, the Herald Leader reported that the potential future felon, Ashland neurologist Dr. Henry Goodman, confirmed Ditty’s account:
Goodman said Thursday he taped the meeting without Ditty’s knowledge “to make sure Sen. Webb’s comments about one of her bills were consistent with what she had been saying.”
Ditty said he had “nothing at all to do with the taping” and said Goodman should have informed Webb at the beginning of the meeting that he was taping her.
Goodman said he did not think about doing that — even though Ditty said he told Goodman not to tape the meeting.
Also, recall the secret recording attempts reported last week at the same time in the office of Democratic U.S. Senator Landrieu of Louisiana. Is there some sort of concerted game book that Republicans are pulling their plays from, or it it just coincidental? If coincidental, it is an extraordinary one, considering that two Republicans tried to secretly record two Democrat office-holders in the same week in separate states.
Whether coordinated nationally or not, there is an interesting criminal law issue raised in the Frankfort case. Obviously, neither Webb nor her attorney knew the recording was being done. Ditty and Goodman in the above statements are consistent that Ditty did not know the recording was being done, and that only Goodman, the recording party, knew the recording was taking place.
Having established that fact to a certainty appears to be very important. Read what Kentucky law says in KRS 526.010 and 020:
526.010 Definition.
The following definition applies in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
“Eavesdrop” means to overhear, record, amplify or transmit any part of a wire or oral communication of others without the consent of at least one (1) party thereto by means of any electronic, mechanical or other device.
020 states:
526.020 Eavesdropping.
(1) A person is guilty of eavesdropping when he intentionally uses any device to eavesdrop, whether or not he is present at the time.
(2) Eavesdropping is a Class D felony.
So, under these statutes, has Dr. Henry Goodman now publicly confessed to a Class D felony? Will there need to be a special prosecutor to keep up with all the criminal cases the Republicans appear on the verge of landing in?
