LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - An affidavit accuses Knott County's judge
executive and other officials of paving private roads as part of a
vote-buying effort, The Courier-Journal reported Monday.
The affidavit from an FBI task force member was unsealed Friday
in U.S. District Court in London. It alleges Judge-Executive Randy
Thompson and the other officials embarked on a "coordinated
effort" to influence the 2006 election by spreading free blacktop
and gravel, building or repairing bridges and rewarding supporters
with jobs, the newspaper said.
In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, Thompson said
the accusations were politically driven.
"That's untrue," he said. "It's coming from some people that
just can't accept the fact that 3,500 people approximately that are
supposedly registered Democrats were fed up with the partisan
politics and crossed over to vote the new ideas and visions I was
bringing to the party."
Last week, federal authorities armed with search warrants raided
Knott County's offices. Thompson said later he had "no idea why
they're here." The affidavit was attached to the warrants.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)