Politics

Environmental attorney Tom FitzGerald says he may seek the Democratic nomination to run for U.S. Senate next year but perhaps not if Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes gets in the race.

FitzGerald said he's not sure a costly Democratic primary would be a good idea considering the huge amount of money that the Republican incumbent, Mitch McConnell, has raised.

McConnell has banked $13 million.

The Courier-Journal first reported FitzGerald's plans.

FitzGerald said if he runs, he will give up his job as executive director of the non-profit Kentucky Resources Council, which has put him at the center of environmental debates for nearly three decades.

The 58-year-old said he will talk with Grimes before he decides in the next couple of weeks. Grimes said Tuesday she still hasn't decided.

The arraignment for former Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer is now scheduled for Thursday afternoon in Lexington. Farmer’s arraignment had originally been set for next Tuesday, but was moved up because of a scheduling conflict with Farmer’s lawyer, Guthrie True.

Earlier this week the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced Farmer had been indicted on four counts of theft from a program involving federal funds and one count of soliciting a bribe.

The charges against Farmer include allegations that he took guns, watches, and knives bought as gifts from a convention in 2008.

Each of the five counts against the former UK basketball star carries a penalty of 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence following a conviction would be imposed by a judge under federal court sentencing guidelines.