FRANKFORT, Ky. – Jerry Lundergan’s trial is now a month old. Tuesday, the defense continued cross-examining Jonathan Hurst, the prosecution’s key witness.
Last week, Hurst testified Lundergan gave him a check for $25,000 and $20,000 in cash with the intent of sending out additional campaign mailers for Alison Lundergan-Grimes’ Secretary of State campaign. The FBI found the cash and check during a search of Hurst’s home three months later.
On Tuesday, Hurst testified the FBI took pictures of the cash and check. He also told the court, the FBI did not take either with them as evidence.
The prosecutor said that the FBI wasn’t authorized to seize, nor fingerprint, the money because it wasn’t part of the search warrant. They also said that money can’t be dusted for prints because it’s exchanged so frequently.
Defense Attorney Guthrie True asked Hurst if he was questioned by the FBI the day of the raid and he said he wasn’t interviewed until June 2017 – more than a year later.
The defense says that Hurst’s testimony is the only thing that links Lundergan to the money. The attorney spent Tuesday painting Hurst as someone trying to scam Lundergan. A claim he denies.
True also highlighted the poor organization of Grimes’ 2014 campaign and portrayed Hurst as a micromanager who had to have complete control of the campaign and its finances. True presented an email from Hurst to Lundergan-Grimes telling her to continue raising money and stay on point with campaign messaging. In the email, Hurst says, “The race is too big and you’re too important to get tangled into the sausage factory.” The email from Hurst continues, “no one will overpower me” and he suggested he buy Lundergan-Grimes a self-help book to she could learn to let go and leave the campaign up to him.
Hurst’s testimony ended on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the prosecutor plans to call 1 additional witness to the stand, who has not yet been identified. The defense plans to call 6 witnesses to the stand this week. The judge told jurors that the trial may continue into October.
Democratic political consultant Dale Emmons is also on trial as Lundergan’s alleged co-conspirator.
