To: CreekerFreeper
Can anyone from Kentucky elaborate on the following?
The current Lt. Gov. Steve Henry (Dem.) is running for Governor. He's also an orthopedic surgeon (still practicing) who has been investigated for Medicare fraud -- billing for procedures not performed.
The feds evidently don't have enough concrete evidence to stand up in criminal court, so they are filing a civil suit to try to recoup some of the "stolen, misappropriated, illegally obtained" funds from Lt. Gov. Henry.
Politics must be particularly dirty in Kentucky....a little shrug of the shoulders and this guy continues to campaign.
Henry is married to the former Miss America, Heather Rene' French (how, I don't know since he's certainly nothing to look at), and their wedding was also investigated for suspicion of using government funds to pay for a portion of it. She is currently a news anchor on a Fox affiliate station in Louisville.
Any more information out there?
To: I am still Casey
Thursday, March 07, 2002
Audit clears me, lt. gov. says
The Associated Press
FRANKFORT — Lt. Gov. Steve Henry says an audit shows he didn't try to cheat the federal government out of money and is, instead, owed money for surgeries he performed.
A federal grand jury has been reviewing bills from Dr. Henry's orthopedic surgery practice to reimbursement programs like Medicaid and Medicare. It is investigating whether Dr. Henry actually performed or supervised surgeries for which he billed the government.
Mike Stigler, a certified public accountant hired by Dr. Henry's malpractice insurance company, was hired to audit 200 of Dr. Henry's billings that federal investigators are examining.
Mr. Stigler said that over the past six years, Dr. Henry performed dozens of surgeries without being paid by Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance companies.
Dr. Henry has been the lieutenant governor since 1995, but practices medicine part
time. He has refused a teaching salary from the University of Louisville and is not compensated for seeing more than 1,000 patients per year at Louisville's charity clinic, where he volunteers three hours each Monday to serve uninsured homeless people.
Dr. Henry said the underbillings total about $500,000, but his attorney, Jack Smith, couldn't confirm that number.
“I have no idea if that's right,” Mr. Smith said Wednesday.
Dr. Henry has maintained he's done nothing wrong. Mr. Smith admits there might have been some billing mistakes.
“If you work a lot in the health-care area, you know Medicare and Medicaid billings are a problem with just about anybody across the industry,” Mr. Smith said. “It's a confused area.”
Mr. Smith said he hasn't reviewed Mr. Stigler's audit.
For now, Mr. Smith said, the audit doesn't change the status of the investigation.
“Nothing has changed as far as that's concerned,” he said.
Dr. Henry was cleared of wrongdoing in October when a state ethics panel announced the findings of an investigation into his wedding to former Miss America Heather French.
Dozens of state employees helped stage the October 2000 wedding, but the panel found no evidence that the employees were coerced into helping or did so on state time.
10 posted on
09/17/2002 8:43:27 PM PDT by
kcvl
To: I am still Casey
Politics must be particularly dirty in Kentucky Puh-leese. Louisiana can claim more dirty politians over any three-year-period in it's history than Kentucky can claim since admission to the Union.
It was my one solace, growing up in Mississippi as I did. No matter how much shame they brought us, at least our politicians weren't as crooked as Louisiana's.
To: I am still Casey
Politics as normal here in the Bluegrass. On the local level there is an election for county judge executive this fall. The position is charged with being the CEO/CFO, so to speak for the county. The two men running are: A retired district court judge, age 77, (I attended a trial he was presiding over and watched him sleep) who is a democrat. A retired Army LTC, age is early to mid 40's, with an MBA who is a certified engineer and a republican. Any bets as to who the winner will be?
24 posted on
09/18/2002 2:39:05 AM PDT by
SLB
To: I am still Casey
"Henry is married to the former Miss America, Heather Rene' French (how, I don't know since he's certainly nothing to look at)..."How can I put this discretely?
$$$$$$$...
31 posted on
09/18/2002 6:18:14 AM PDT by
Redbob
To: I am still Casey
You know more than the average Kentuckian about these things. I'm impressed. You are correct on all points. The rumor about Steve Henry has for years been that he is a closet homosexual who decided rather quickly that in order for him to be guv, he needed to get married. Voila: Heather French Henry. Steve just followed John Y. Brown's lead. He was a former guv who also married a Miss America (PHyllis George). Steve Henry has been groomed to be Patton's successor. Interestingly, if Patton has to step down, guess who runs as the incumbent??
34 posted on
09/18/2002 6:38:59 AM PDT by
Galtoid
To: I am still Casey; Severa; All
Can anyone from Kentucky elaborate on the following? Be glad to.
The Louisville Courier Journal is VERY pro-Steve Henry. As far as they are concerned, he IS the next governor. That's the way it has worked in Kentucky for at least 20 years. Whoever was Lt. Governor has gone on to become Governor:
Collins/Wilkinson --> Wilkinson/Jones --> Jones/Patton --> Patton/Henry
And the judges in Kentucky, though officially "non partisan," ought as well have a big "D" next to most of their names. Hell, as I posted a few minutes ago, on the original Patton Sex-For-Favors Scandal thread, we haven't had a Republican Governor here in over 30 years, so who do you think makes the appointments to judicial vacancies? And the state is still overwhelmingly registered Democrat (althought I must give the people credit for voting much more conservative than just ten years ago).
Yes, politics is very dirty and very ugly in the Bluegrass State.
On to the Steve Henry wedding to the former Miss America. The wedding itself was a controversial, tasteless event. I didn't see the invitations myself, but a friend of mine who did said that it was basically a Democratic Party of Kentucky fundraiser, and that one had to make a contribution to Democrats to attend the wedding.
Prior to Henry's controversial wedding, he himself was acting very Clintonesque. A few years back, it was reported that Henry, then a bachelor, was using state funds to take care of different women he was seeing, women who were married to their husbands at the time! I had a heckling and arguing session with Henry at the Kentucky State Fair that particular year, and I was asking him how his tax-paid affairs were going. Of course, guess what? That particular story was in the paper and on the news for no more than one day when it disappeared altogether.
I will see what else I can come up with via research for you all. Now its time for my lunch, and I feel like my blood pressure must be sky-high after rehashing some wonderful Kentucky politics for those not in the know. :>
And, to Severa, who asked about Jerry Abramson:
he is getting ready to cakewalk his way in November to becoming the first "super-mayor" of the merged Louisville/Jefferson County. Uggghh!
To: I am still Casey
To: one_particular_harbour
Politics must be particularly dirty in Kentucky....Welcome to "the biggest understatement of the day." Elections used to be won by handing out whiskey in front of the polling place. Like not too long ago either. OPH--what the hell happened? I leave the state and it all goes to hell! BTW---------the governor is a coal mine owner that purchased the office and Henry is complete SLIME and if he gets elected it will be a bad day for kentucky.
68 posted on
09/18/2002 6:22:32 PM PDT by
lawgirl
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