Corrupt Kentucky sheriff brought down by reporters

 

(CBS News) A pen and a pistol were the tools one young Kentucky newspaper reporter needed during his investigation of his hometown sheriff. Adam Sulfridge exposed corruption in local law enforcement in his rural Kentucky county and ended up with an award-winning story and enough death threats against him that he had to start carrying a gun.

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The following is a script from "Cleaning Up Whitley County" which originally aired on May 6, 2012. Byron Pitt is the correspondent. Clem Taylor, producer.

Prescription drug abuse has become an epidemic in America. Few places have been hit harder than Kentucky, a state that has also been ravaged by addiction to crystal meth. In Whitley County, Kentucky - in the heart of Appalachia -- matters were made worse when the man suspected of being at the center of the drug trade was the county's top law enforcement officer, Sheriff Lawrence Hodge.

There had long been suspicions that Sheriff Hodge was dirty, but nobody - not even federal agents - could prove it.

That's when two local journalists -- both in their 20s -- launched their own investigation. And they soon discovered poking into the affairs of a powerful county sheriff can be risky business.

Adam Sulfridge: You know you're 20 years old, and you're taking a shower one day and getting ready for class and you get a call from a federal agent because there's a credible threat against your life. Everything about it is just so surreal. You know. You don't-- you don't think a whole lot about it. Then later that night you start thinking, you're like, "Geez, somebody wants to kill me. That's a little odd." And it's the sheriff. The sheriff wants to kill you.

This wasn't exactly how Adam Sulfridge had pictured a career in journalism. Adam was born and raised in Whitley County. In 2009, he was a sophomore at the local college and needed a job. The county's daily newspaper, the Times-Tribune, had an opening. And soon, Adam had his first assignment and dangerous enemies.

Byron Pitts: Why did you feel compelled to buy a gun?

Adam Sulfridge: You do have a credible threat against your life. And it seemed like a pretty reasonable thing to do. Samantha also purchased a gun at the same time.

Samantha Swindler, then 27, was managing editor of the Times-Tribune and Adam's boss.

Samantha Swindler: We were reporting on people involved in the drug trade. And people who were all hopped up on oxys, I don't know what they're going to do. I thought if something happened I'd go down with a fight.

Samantha was exotic by Whitley County standards: born in New Orleans, educated in Boston. She'd tangled with public officials as editor of a small newspaper in East Texas. She saw familiar signs in Whitley County.

Samantha Swindler: There are problems in this community with the good ole boy system, corrupt politics, that kind of thing.

Byron Pitts: It seems to me in many ways that this community's strength is also its weakness in some ways. This is a nice polite place where people have polite conversations -

Samantha Swindler: People are very proud here and it's a good thing, but it's also a bad thing in the way that it doesn't allow you to see the things that need change.

Whitley County, Kentucky, population 35,000, is tucked in the state's southeast corner on the border with Tennessee. People here take pride in the natural beauty of Cumberland Falls and in historic Sanders Cafe, birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken. There is also poverty. The median income is $26,000. Drug addiction is rampant. Throughout the region, red signs identify homes once used as meth labs. And then there's prescription drug abuse. Oxycodone flows in so freely. They call this stretch of I-75 "the pill pipeline."

In 2002, Lawrence Hodge was elected sheriff of Whitley County on the promise he'd clean it up. The sheriff's raid on one meth lab was covered by the local CBS affiliate.

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[crumbx]

Mr. Sulfridge sounds like a good candidate for a job on the 60 Minutes research staff. How about it?

[Appalachia_Adam]

Thank ya! Maybe you should send 60 a letter about that...

[Paul1221]

Check out a reflection on wrote based on this broadcast published at the Huffington Post:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-ruth/reflection-on-free-speech_b_1501695.html

[hbindc]

I can't believe 60 Minutes didn't hire Adam Sulfridge on the spot. What a waste for a talented young investigative journalist to be sitting around unemployed. I certainly hope someone snaps him up quick!

[Appalachia_Adam]

I appreciate your kindness and support. Perhaps one day. I've been doing further investigative work in southeastern Kentucky. It's my home, and I don't mind putting off my own professional future to save a few lives. On average, three people in Kentucky die each day from drug overdoses. In Whitley County, the average is one per week.

[Onoshobishobi]

virginiaspennstatescandal.blogspot.com

That's a site that has documented police corruption and Documented child sexual abuse

As well as letters from and to the FBI informing them of it and providing them the documents supporting the allegations.

Can't get a major network or reporter to expose it maybe someone can get it to Adam Sulfridge it'll really put him on the map as an investigative reporter with the courage to expose corruption.

[1988JAck]

We, in Wisconsin, are facing a war against far right wing extremism and we are energized to defeat him, beacuse America is about working together not spending millions (16 so far and he doean't even have a clear candidate yet! A 20 to 1 ratio against organized labor).

We are not extremists, we are not all about the rich, we are united in working together even we don't always agree on every issue. We are Americans.

[audemus]

Adam Sulfridge and Samantha Swindler....you both have made a lot of Americans very proud. Continued good fortune, and please be careful.

The paper in Oregon is lucky to have Ms. Swindler, and if I was an editor for some newspaper somewhere, Mr. Sulfridge would not be unemployed much longer.....

[Appalachia_Adam]

Thank you very much! Even if Washington stays dysfunctional, we can all do a great deal to help this nation by working at the local level.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Sheriff's offices everywhere are the most corrupt police organizations in the U.S.A. Sometimes they even hire ex-cons as deputies.

[Obama4more]

There's a job awaiting Eric Zimmerman in FL...?

[netjunkie1]

What they do is use slush fund money to set up their intended targets.
How? Since the police don't enjoy the right to violate the law, they instead pay others who do violate the law to obtain evidence thier clients, who may be divorce attorneys, attorneys involved with lawsuits, and district attorneys who work second jobs.
I know this first hand as a friend was arrested after visiting the bar, his wife was divorcing him and her attorney hired an off duty police officer to set him up. This is documented fact and it happens all the time.

[Appalachia_Adam]

Lawrence Hodge deputized a man the day after he resigned as chief of a local police department due to failed drug tests. Within months, that man was a "sergeant-detective" and apparently in charge of drug investigations.

[kmnstrujillo]

Anyone else disgusted by the fact that Feds won't work hard enough to catch the same guy that two poorly trained ill equipped college students could?

In Colorado our Sheriff is staying in the prison that was named after him. Power and corruption go hand in hand.

More power = more corruption.

Accountability is the solution and the police have the authority to avoid accountability. Try taking pictures or video of police activity and see how quickly a bogus charge is made. And yet they want to put cameras up and invade citizens privacy and rights every day.

It's time to do what Great Britain did. Take away their guns and make them work for respect instead of taking it at gun point.

[audemus]

Adam Sulfridge and Samantha Swindler....you both have made a lot of Americans very proud. Continued good fortune, and please be careful.

The paper in Oregon is lucky to have Ms. Swindler, and if I was an editor for some newspaper somewhere, Mr. Sulfridge would not be unemployed much longer.....

[SB-123]

In case Ms Swindler and Mr. Sulfridge stumble upon this comment, kudos to you! I hope you both enjoy long and prosperous careers in your chosen profession. You're a credit to journalists everywhere. Unfortunately in the world of media corporations and journalists your doggedness is not universal; frequently wrongdoing by those in power goes unreported by those who both know of the wrongdoing and have an ethical obligation to inform the public. As a citizen who is concerned with the negative turn that this country has taken I offer you a million thanks. Many of our problems are a direct result of lawless public servants who have blatantly failed to honor their oaths and fulfill their pledged duty to society. Keep on taking down the bad guys who think they're above the law. And spread some of your chutzpah around, it would definitely be useful in a lot of places. Now I'll take a moment to share something important with the public. The below message was previously posted elsewhere. However, it also pertains to public corruption so it is fitting that I share it here. The public should be aware of this as well.

---------------------------------------------------

Next stop Gainesville, Fla. (i.e. "Gator Country"). "Why specifically?", you ask.

Because in Alachua County, within recent months, numerous and egregious violations of law have been committed that warrant multiple criminal prosecutions and other severe government sanctions. These crimes have had all types of deleterious effects including, but not limited to, once again placing the integrity of Florida's election results (for 2012) in jeopardy. A few of the things that are central to this issue are:

1
David P. Kreider [Mr. Kreider, a proven criminal, is a corrupt Alachua County Court judge. This criminally-corrupt judge also happens to be both (a) one of the circuit's former prosecutors and (b) a former Division Chief for the State Attorney's Office.]

2
Robert Roundtree, Chief Judge for Florida's 8th Judicial Circuit (he recently replaced the embattled Martha Lott who resigned from her chief judge post subsequent to becoming embroiled in this scandal which has started to implode; her resignation was announced on 04/09/2012 and was reported to have gone into effect on 04/05/2012)

3
Spencer Mann, Chief Investigator for the State Attorney's Office of Florida's 8th Judicial Circuit

4
William "Bill" Cervone, State Attorney for Florida's 8th Judicial Circuit

5
The conspiracy / scandal related to the "Gibson Case"

6
The two irrefutable reports and extensive corroborating evidence that is in the possession of agencies, including those within Florida's 8th Judicial Circuit (and the aforementioned Spencer Mann and Chief Judge's office). The comprehensive reports and evidence span a total of more than 100 pages and in-depthly detail criminal activities carried out under the color of law by criminal/judge David P. Kreider and various other co-conspirators.

http://www.complaints.com/2012/march/14/Corrupt_Judge_David_P._Kreider_now_taints_the_ele_264712.htm

This is the gateway to serious corruption and a major cover-up attempt.

[BogusPeavy]

Alachua County huh? Citrus County has you beat and it's being written up as I write this. The State Attorney's office here might as well be run by Al Capone. The Sheriff's office is black and here's where we trump you: FDLE. Those are the cops that are supposed to police the cops.

This story will be coming shortly to a newspaper near you, that is those with the balz to print it and when it hits, look out. The local hospital here is a big partner, the local land barons and several Mafia families including the Floria crime family are also included in the fun. It's been going on for over 30 years and this stuff could only happen in a backwater like Citrus County. Keep an eye peeled folks. You're going to love this.

An amazing batch of connected scum that will hopefully get their very roofs blown off. This stuff is dynamite and death threats abound. I am a part of the story and am only to happy (and relieved) to tell what I know. Tip of the iceberg. Now THIS is corruption.

[BogusPeavy]

That would be "Florio" crime family.