Fletchergate continues...

How did two Justice Cabinet officials manage to get by without being escorted? If the grand jury materials were there, then why were they without supervision?

Investigators yesterday scolded two Justice Cabinet officials for walking unescorted through the Attorney General's East Frankfort offices Monday evening and into a room containing confidential grand jury materials.

In a letter, filed in Franklin Circuit Court yesterday, Deputy Attorney General Pierce Whites wrote that the actions of the cabinet's general counsel Luke Morgan and Steve O'Daniel, executive director of the investigations office, were "inappropriate."

He wrote that the two men "convinced" a janitorial staff person to let them in, allowing them to roam the offices -- an assertion that Morgan denied yesterday.

"You proceeded to walk unescorted through the offices of the KBI and into a room containing grand jury materials," Whites wrote. "You were quickly escorted out of the room and into a conference room."

Whites added that Morgan and O'Daniel might have "raised issues regarding the security of these grand jury materials."

A special grand jury continues to investigate allegations of improper political hiring in Gov. Ernie Fletcher's administration.

Morgan, in an interview, took issue with Whites and noted that Whites wasn't present.

He called the letter "inflammatory" and "solely designed to attract publicity."

He said that he and O'Daniel -- who were both employees of former Attorney General Ben Chandler -- came to drop off a letter and were greeted warmly by several staff members who kept them in sight the whole time.

Specifically, Morgan said, Janet Graham, an assistant deputy attorney general, didn't indicate that they walked in on grand jury materials.

"She didn't jump up or anything. She just walked up to us," he said.

Graham disputed that.

"The minute they walked in the room, I said something to the effect of 'Whoa, you can't come in here.' And I even raised my voice a little bit," she said.

Neither Graham nor Morgan would discuss the contents of the letter that Morgan and O'Daniel dropped off. Graham said it was marked "confidential."

Justice and Public Safety Cabinet officials had largely remained out of the spotlight of the investigation until yesterday when Teresa Barton, director of the drug control policy, appeared before the grand jury.

Morgan said he was merely "extending a professional courtesy" by dropping off the letter in person.

Whites, in his terse admonition, told Morgan that he should do so during business hours or use a fax.

He added that it was the second time Morgan had "been found walking unescorted through the office."

"That's untrue," Morgan said. "That makes me sound like James Bond or something."

Pretty darn pathetic...