PAULA GISH FOUND TO BE IN VIOLATION OF THE HATCH ACT

Today Paula Gish tendered her resignation from the position of Deputy County Judge/Executive to Judge Executive Duane Murner. She tendered her resignation as a result of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) having found that she had been in violation of the Hatch Act since she filed to run for the office of County Judge/Executive. Gish has been in violation for several months.

I brought the issue of Gish being in violation of the Hatch Act before the Oldham County Fiscal Court months ago and at that time I notified the court that I had filed a complaint with the OSC regarding the matter. At that same time Judge Murner indicated that he had also asked the OSC for an opinion on Gish’s position. It had been well known throughout county government circles that I had planned to file a complaint.

Gish indicated in her letter of resignation that she would be interested in serving as a consultant or in a part-time position until after the election. Considering the fact that she has been in violation for such a long period of time, I don’t believe that she should be considered for any position. To give her a job of any type would be a “slap in the face” to the residents of Oldham County. However, I fully expect her to be offered some type of position after the election on May 18, 2010. If she loses, she will be offered the position of Deputy Judge again. If she wins, she will be offered a part-time position or a consultant’s contract. Murner will find a way for her to receive a salary at the expense of the public. Ethics don’t seem to be a concern for this administration.

Just what is Gish qualified to do? The state auditor stated that she was not qualified to supervise the payroll clerk and the county doesn’t have any PTA positions. However, Murner is known to take care of his cronies. Remember, Bill Tucker, after losing in the primary election in 2006 and again in the November election in 2006 landed a job in county government after Murner laid off several other employees. Remember when Murner sued former Judge Mary Ellen Kinser over the appointment and subsequent attempt by Judge Kinser to remove Kevin Jeffries from the Planning and Zoning Commission, Murner was taking care of a friend there also. And don’t forget that Murner broke the law to keep from revealing that the Rawlings Foundation was the anonymous donor of $100,000 to the county. He even indicated that he would go to jail before he would reveal the name. However, when the time came for him to produce the name of the donor or go to jail, he chose not to go to jail. He had made a joint statement to the press that the donor was George Rawlings but when the cancelled check was produced it was revealed that the donor was the Rawlings Foundation instead of George Rawlings.