Senator Jones (D) and Senator Williams (R)

Reports from his district are that 31st District Senator Ray Jones (D)-Pikeville has been contacting those in his district who control votes and urging them to support David Williams in his campaign for governor. Now comes an eyebrow-raising contribution, from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. Votesmart and local reports identify Senator Jones wife as Paula Jones, who also made two previous contributions under the name Paula Jones recorded in the Registry’s database. But the above contribution in the name of Laura Jones is the same person. Laura Paula Jones.

This is the same Ray Jones who attacked Pike County magistrate Chris Harris for helping keep the focus on the corruption in the Mountain Water District, forming a secret fund to try to defeat Harris last year. That Mountain Water District is the same one sharply criticized by Kentucky Auditor Crit Luallen last month in her audit. The same one that David Williams, Leonard Lawson and Bill Nighbert were all wrapped up in during the testimony in Nighbert’s federal corruption trial last year.

So exactly why is a Democratic state senator’s spouse making a maximum contribution to Republican Senate President David Williams in his campaign to challenge an incumbent Democratic governor, particularly a governor who’s come through so strongly for Pike County with flood cleanup resources, and the extra funding for the Pikeville entertainment center? What could make Jones take on such a suicide run? The only apparent common denominator is Leonard Lawson, who is more than willing to spread resources around.

The irony is that local speculators are saying that if Chris Harris, who Jones tried to secretly defeat, decides to run against Jones for the senate seat, that Jones’ political career would be in severe jeopardy.

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