ATTENTION! This is very, very serious ***Updated***

A recent Mark Hebert report is being interpreted as raising serious questions regarding "extortion" of the the horse racing industry by Ky. House "factions" for favorable treatment in the casino bill but only if they help raise big campaign money.  If this is true it is very, very serious.

Every blogger, every reporter and every decent citizen of the Commonwealth should demand that a full investigation of these allegations be undertaken immediately.  This report, which you can see on KyPolitics, outlines blatant criminal activity.

Whether you call this "quid pro quo" or laugh about it as just more political "extortion", by any description if this is true, it is nothing less than government corruption at its very worst. 

The people of this Commonwealth cannot stand by and allow legislation to be sold to the highest bidder.  Not only should every house seat implicated in this scheme be taken away immediately from the guilty parties, but every single person involved needs to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

***UPDATED 9:00 PM***

Be sure to read the comments I have posted below in addition to checking after the jump for updates:

***UPDATED 9:00 PM***

Posted by as a comment on KyPolitics : February 24, 2008 at 08:45 PM

Brett is right to keep this story up until it catches the attention of a trustworthy source to investigate it. So far we have Mark Hebert. That's a good start when it comes to breaking a big story like this.

Now it needs to be investigated by a US Attorney to avoid any taint of politics which might be alleged either way.

Other than the Attorney General himself there are only two other categories of state prosecuting attorneys authorized to initiate a case of this sort: Commonwealth's Attorneys and County Attorneys. All three offices were filled by election and will be again at some point in the future.

The most competent state prosecutor does not deserve to suffer through the kind of scrutiny and second guessing which will inevitably come with the attention this type case will gather. It may be their job to pursue these matters, but we all know that an investigation of this sort into ties between gambling interests and elected officials will impose tremendous pressures not a single one of them bargained for.

Moreover, those inclined to condemn our system of justice will find a way to ursurp the attention attracted to this case and convert it into their own platform from which they will not only attempt to influence the outcome of the case itself, but they will do it at the expense of further eroding the public's confidence in our laws and constitution.

The integrity of the innocent requires a completely unbiased investigation. The conviction of the guilty, requires a completely unbiased investigation.

The public trust requires that this matter undergo a thorough and a completely unbiased investigation as well. But the public trust also requires something else in addition to that.

For the sake of the public's trust in our system of justice, nothing short of immediate attention is required.

Comments

How do we get this investigation moving Marcus?

[Marc Carey]

We need to make certain to spread the word. Do it by putting up a comment on every blog in Kentucky you see. Make sure to comment on Hebert's blog and PolWatchers, And Crowley, those guys can give this legs.

In the meantime stay tuned right here. We will update you as soon as we get word of any new developments.

[KyIndy]

Not a chance anything will be done. But if this was a republican the press would be all over it.

Just watch, this is going nowhere fast because the press doesn't really have the integrity they want us to think they have.

[Anonymous]

I don't agree that the press will not cover this. In fact I'd be very surprised if Ryan Alessi and Hebert don't get into a bit of a race to the bottom of the barrel.

Since Hebert is the source of the story it looks like he will be first on the list of people the FBI would talk to. In the meantime Alessi will be scrambling to get an early jump on who the players are.

I think the late comer to the story will be the loser.

[Frankfurter]

Why hasn't this been highlighted in any of the newspapers?

I mean come on, if house democrats are demanding payment of campaign contributions in exchange for legislation favorable to the race tracks, isn't this a major scandal?

Somebody better be running with this or they will scramble the eggs so fast we will never be able to bring the matter to justice.

[Hazelton]

Rumors are flying in Frankfort confirming that this case is getting some serious attention.

We all knew, didn't we, that when the Las Vegas gamblers came to town they'd come prepared to play high stakes poker.

You and Brett Hall are to be congratulated for not letting this matter get lost in the shuffle.

The lure of big money is very seductive, particularly to those without firm principles.

[EdwardTedSmithJr]

I would like to see the Feds get involved with this. It's a lead pipe cinch that a D Attorney General isn't going to do much, if anything. Ted Smith