Senator Kay Hagan Recommends a Judge for Federal Service; Just Nine Days Later, That Same Judge Ruled in Favor of a Company Partially Owned by Her Husband

Juice.

Just a week after Sen. Kay Hagan (D., N.C.) recommended a North Carolina judge to President Barack Obama for a seat in the U.S. District Court, the judge ruled in favor of a company partially owned by Hagan’s husband.

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The case concerned a lawsuit by Hydrodyne against a local water authority. Hydrodyne claimed the water authority unlawfully siphoned water from a source and thus damaged Hydrodyne, which generates hydroelectric power. I guess: Less water, less power.

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Superior Court Judge Calvin E. Murphy ruled the case in favor of Hydrodyne, setting the table for the Piedmont Triad Regional Water Authority to pay millions in damages to companies including Hydrodyne.

Murphy’s ruling was made on Oct. 23, 2009, just nine days after Sen. Hagan sent his name to Obama to be nominated for a lifetime seat on the U.S. District Court for Western North Carolina.

Hagan withdrew her recommendation to Obama after North Carolina’s News and Record contacted her office about the apparent conflict of interest, telling the paper that she "was not aware that Judge Murphy was hearing a case in which my husband had an interest."

Uh-huh.

The water authority is appealing the decision based upon the connections between the Hagans and Judge Murphy.

This isn't the first time the Hagans have been accused of benefiting themselves financially using Senator Hagan's political juice.

The Kochs are running ads about that particular sketchy transaction in the state this week.

posted by Ace at 06:34 PM

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