Statement of Gate City Mayor Mark Jenkins regarding the 37-count indictment of former Mayor Charles Dougherty, Jr.?I am pleased that something has finally been done to address some of the criminal wrongdoing in the May 2004 Gate City election. Things had dragged on so long that I was starting to think there would be no justice served in this matter. I hope this is only the beginning of the indictments that will result from the investigation into the 2004 Gate City Election.
?I know Charles Dougherty was not the only culprit in events taking place in the attempt to control the outcome of the election. I still maintain that the wrongdoings that have been brought to light by the indictments handed down yesterday could not have gone on had the Registrar been properly performing her job.
?I hope that our former Attorney General Jerry Kilgore, who was so quick to assess the situation and make the statement about no intentional wrong doing in the election, quickly jumps to the stage again to explain why he was so ignorant to the goings on in his hometown.
?You would think having your mother in the Registrar?s position would give you somewhat of a heads-up on this type of activity. I think Jerry's comment slowed the investigation into the matter and if I had not kept pushing would have stopped the investigation entirely.
?I appreciate the fortitude shown and the hard work done by Joel Branscom and Jeff Lewis in pursuing this matter. Had it not been for them I think the whole thing would have been left to fade. Others would have just moved on and not looked into what really went on here.?
Mark Jenkins,
Gate City Mayor
Man, your comment screams "b-i-t-t-e-r".
Plus, who said Mark Jenkins is not a Republican. If he has came over to the good side (Democratic) who could blame him after the way he was screwed over in that election?