The Special Franklin County Grand Jury that's investigating the Fletcher Administration's hiring, firing and promotion practices has heard and seen plenty of evidence that there were violations of Kentucky's merit laws. So far, sources tell me, the Grand Jury has also heard and seen plenty of evidence that Governor Fletcher knew his appointees were doing their damnedest to get his supporters into state jobs, both merit and non-merit. But what the Grand Jury hasn't seen is anything to directly link Ernie Fletcher to any specific merit personnel moves. And without that "smoking gun", there won't be any indictment of the Governor.

That doesn't mean it won't happen. The Grand Jury still hasn't seen all of the e-mails from Fletcher's not-so-secret e-mail account, sadie@ky.gov. Those e-mails are locked up in legal limbo while Fletcher's attornies get a chance to decide which e-mails are "priveleged" and not required to be turned over to Greg Stumbo's investigators. Until those e-mails are seen by the Attorney General's Office and grand jurors, the investigation won't end, and a future courtroom appearance by Kentucky's sitting Republican Governor is still a possibility.

Governor Fletcher has left himself open to a criminal indictment by failing to cover himself with his blanket pardon. He has repeatedly said he never "knowingly" violated Kentucky's merit law. Earlier this week he told reporters he didn't regret that decision because the "buck stops here" and said he wasn't worried about the Grand Jury investigation. Fletcher may be hoping the grand jurors, who have been meeting since June, will grow frustrated and run out of gas to continue if the courts rule in Fletcher's favor on his motion to stop the panel from indicting anyone that's already been pardoned.

If the grand jury quits, the simple answer to the question above is...."no, I don't think Governor Fletcher will be indicted".