FRANKFORT - The attorney for the woman who says Gov. Paul Patton turned regulators on her when she broke off their affair said he has been in contact with federal authorities who want to investigate the matter.

Conner

        Also Thursday, Attorney General Ben Chandler said his office would investigate “if any laws were violated” in the “matter regarding Gov. Patton and Tina Conner.”

        Fred Radolovich said Thursday he met this week with U.S. Attorney Steve Pence and two of his prosecutors.

        Mr. Radolovich said the prosecutors did not ask him for proof he said he has that Mr. Patton helped Ms. Conner, owner of a nursing home at Clinton in Hickman County, and then tried to punish her when their affair ended.

        “They wanted a friendly conversation, and that's what we did for an hour,” Mr. Radolovich said. He declined to say what proof he possessed, citing grand jury confidentiality. “Whatever happened will end up in the federal grand jury,” which might occur next week but is not guaranteed, Mr. Radolovich said.

        Mr. Radolovich said investigators, including an FBI agent from the Lexington office with whom he met separately, also want to talk to Ms. Conner, but he has been unable to reach her.

        Spokesmen for Mr. Pence and the FBI declined comment. A spokeswoman at the U.S. Attorney's Office in Lexington cited policy in refusing to confirm or deny the existence of any investigation. The Lexington office would be involved because Frankfort falls under its jurisdiction.

        Health Services Secretary Marcia Morgan, whose cabinet regulates nursing homes, said she has invited both U.S. attorneys, the FBI, Mr. Chandler's office and the Executive Branch Ethics Commission to investigate her agency.

        “We want to put allegations of wrongdoing by the cabinet behind us,” Ms. Morgan said Thursday.

        A spokeswoman for Mr. Chandler said his office had been considering an investigation when Ms. Morgan's invitation arrived.

        Mr. Radolovich said he also met with Mr. Patton's lawyers about a potential settlement of Ms. Conner's lawsuit but said he has been jerked around by the governor's legal team.

        “At the last minute, they changed negotiators,” Mr. Radolovich said.

        Mr. Radolovich said he negotiated last week with two lawyers representing Mr. Patton for a potential settlement before Ms. Conner filed her suit. He declined to identify the attorneys, but said he got a call Tuesday telling him that Sheryl Snyder and Debbie Adams, with the Cincinnati-based firm of Frost Brown Todd, would be taking over.

        Mr. Radolovich said Mr. Snyder and Ms. Adams wanted to examine his case, but he declined.

        Mr. Snyder did not return calls on Thursday.

        Mr. Radolovich said he gave Mr. Patton's lawyers 72 hours to offer a settlement, and he said Thursday more than 48 hours had passed.

        Ms. Conner has been granting interviews, many of which offer hints of what she said was the special treatment she got as Mr. Patton's lover starting in 1997.

        Mr. Patton has acknowledged a relationship with Ms. Conner but said he has not misused his office.

Hagan lectures boycott leader
Rainfall from Isidore helps quench drought
Middletown hospital picks new campus site
Author of 'hit' note found
Anderson YMCA celebrates 30 years
Another court strikes down anti-drug zone
Board's makeup in dispute
Children's debuts tech treatment
Deputy on the mend
New K.I. ride may result in 'delirium'
Obituary: C. Maiorano, 19, died on the way to Lourdes
Street named for riverfront 'visionary'
Tristate A.M. Report
BRONSON: They're sorry
SMITH AMOS: Recruiting from school
Hamilton gets ready to rally
Marketing plan pleases suburbs
New church will be a 'sermon in stone'
Boxer Mike Tyson wants tax money back
Former aide to Traficant sentenced for perjury
Col. Sanders he isn't - but it's close
Conner lawyer talking to feds
Court says deputy merit boards OK
Kentucky News Briefs
New radar system to warn of incursions