By Art Lawler Cedar Creek Pilot
April 08, 2009 10:06 pm
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Former Henderson County Democratic Party Chairman Ray Smith of Murchison has been indicted by a grand jury on 66 felony counts.
Smith was hit with four indictments totaling the 66 counts: 33 counts were handed up for allegedly filing false information/affadavit, and the other 33 counts were for allegedly signing false information.
According to a press release issued Wednesday afternoon from District Attorney Scott McKee’s office, the indictments are the result of a two-and-a-half-year investigation into Smith’s used car company, The Ride & Drive Car Company in Murchison.
The statement said the investigation was initiated in October of 2006 by investigators and prosecutors from the Henderson County District Attorney’s office.
The Review was unable to reach Smith’s defense attorney, Scott Williams, for comment late Wednesday afternoon.
McKee said he and all investigators in the case from the local and state levels are not allowed to comment further on the investigation or indictments right now because Smith is still under investigation with the possibility of more indictments to be handed down in the future.
Smith resigned as Democratic party chairman on Sept. 7 of last year.
He had served three consecutive terms as party chief, and told a reporter at the time he was considering a run for a statewide office. He would not comment at the time on what office that might be.
His unexpired term as Democratic party chair for Henderson County is currently being filled by Marsha Head.
That term lasts through 2010.
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Ray Smith