Submitted by Judith C. Tuggle on Wed, 2007/10/03 - 9:56am.

Police union endorses BeshearBy Patrick Crowley, The Enquirer
September 29, 2007

Kentucky's largest police union has endorsed Democrat Steve Beshear for governor over Republican incumbent Ernie Fletcher.

Beshear, a former state attorney general, is on the ticket with Sen. Dan Mongiardo, a state senator from eastern Kentucky and Beshear's lieutenant governor running mate.

"We are endorsing the Beshear-Mongiardo team because we feel Steve and Daniel will bring the open, honest leadership Kentucky so desperately needs as we strive to improve the economic, educational, and healthcare and child development needs for all citizens of Kentucky, especially our children," Martin D. Scott, Jr., President of the Kentucky State Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said in a statement provided by the Beshear campaign.

"I am honored to have the endorsement of the FOP in this election," Beshear said in the statement. “They represent more than 10,000 members statewide and are among the Commonwealth’s first responders who put themselves in harms way to safeguard the people of this state each day."

Mark Hebert, a reporter for WHAS television in Louisville, reported on his blog this morning that union members were not happy that Fletcher faced criminal charges in the investigation into his administration. The charges against Fletcher wree dropped in an agreement with prosecutors.

"According to F.O.P. board member Mike Hettich, the state F.O.P.'s biggest problem with Fletcher was his blanket pardon of people who were charged, but never tried, in connection with the merit hiring investigation. Hettich says police officers' job is to prevent crime and help promote justice. He says Fletcher's pardons 'kind of go against what we stand for,'" Hebert reported.

The officers group also endorsed Democrats Jack Conway in the Attorney General's race and Crit Luallen in the Auditor's race. They did not endorse candidates in the Treasurer, Secretary of State and Agriculture Commissioner races.

READ THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070802/NEWS0103/308020018

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