Corporal John Vest's federal whistleblower lawsuit in the Lexington jail inmate abuse scandal took an interesting turn last week when FCDC Director Ron Bishop declared in his sworn testimony that he was "paralyzed" by the FBI investigation into the jail and determined not to find out anything or ask any questions about any wrongdoing that may have occurred.
The following conversation between Vest's attorney Bill Jacobs and Bishop will certainly be contradicted by other witnesses in court:
Jacobs: Did you ever learn that some of your officers went to Mr. Vest's wife's
workplace and intimidated her?
Bishop: No.
Jacobs: You never learned that? Did FBI instruct anybody at your place
to not do that, if you know?
Bishop: I'm not aware of any instructions.
Jacobs: Did you ever learn that McQueen chased Mr. Vest around New Circle Road?
Bishop: No, I'm not aware of that.
Jacobs: Never heard about it?
Bishop: No.
Jacobs: Did you, or anybody at your direction, ask officers after they went to the FBI, Department of Justice, or the Grand Jury, what was asked of them or what they said?
Bishop: No.
Jacobs: You never did that?
Bishop: No.
Jacobs: No to all of those?
Bishop: No to all of those.
Jacobs: Do you know if anybody did ask them what they were asked by the FBI?
Bishop: I'm not aware of anyone who did that.
Jacobs: Did you instruct your staff that you were supervising not to ask those questions?
Bishop: Yes.
Jacobs: Who did you tell?
Bishop: Jim Kammer, Todd Eades, Mary Hester, and the Majors, Majors Hill, Korb, White.
This easy to disprove lie will prove particularly ill-timed given that defendants are now cooperating with prosecutors.
