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 April 2008
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Former Transportation Secretary Bill Nighbert tells WHAS 11 News he was never consulted by Beshear administration officials about the settlement agreement with former Transportation Cabinet employee Missy McCray. The state is paying McCray $500,000 to settle her lawsuit against the state and Nighbert, though a judge had dropped Nighbert from the lawsuit because he was acting in his official capacity. McCray claimed she was threatened and retaliated against for talking to investigators about helping her bosses find merit state jobs for Governor Fletcher's supporters during the merit hiring scandal. And while the attorney hired by the Transportation Cabinet thinks McCray has a strong case, Nighbert doesn't think so. He says he was more than ready to tell a jury "the real story" of what happened. The Cabinet's lawyer, Paul Harnice, thought McCray might win even more cash if the case went to trial. Nighbert says "I'd be real surprised if that happened." He believes the Beshear administration settled for too much just to get rid of the case and speculates that "politics could have come into play." McCray has also been transferred to the Personnel Cabinet as part of the deal. I traded phone messages with her today but we never hooked up to talk. Nighbert currently works for his long time friend, Senate President David Williams. 6 CommentsLeave a comment |
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WHAS11.com Political Blog
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Mark- Is that what Harnice told you or is that what Chuck Wolfe said that Harnice said?
I absolutely relish Nighbert saying he will tell the "REAL STORY." Where the heck was his version these past 36 months? The REAL STORY is that Fletcher violated every tenet of state personnel law and reg and bent every other one he and his cronies could find to bend. They went wild like partying teens with the parents out of town for the weekend. The arrogance, greed and blatant disrespect for state government now costs the taxpayers, not the jerks who decided to intimidate people who have worked diligently as dedicated state employees. And trust me, we were ALL intimidated during the Fletcher Administration, in one way or another. If you didn't play by their made up rules, you were put on a "hit list" and intimidated into submission.
Mark, you're a good investigator, how does the settlement compare to other type settlements?
Is there some reason to grant Nighbert credibility in this situation? He seems like a pretty obviously liar, why feature his self-serving response?
Did McCray and her husband really give Beshear $2,500 in last year's election? That's a great return on her investment!!!
Paul Harnice thought McCray would get more money? Thats so stupid - What sound minded juror would grant money in a CIVIL lawsuit to anyone suing their state government? A government of the people by the people and for the people? The juror would in theoretical essence be the defendant! But then again we’re talking about a Franklin County jury pool!