A Kentucky felony prosecutor resigned following a federal criminal complaint made Friday alleging that he requested sexual relations and methamphetamine as rewards for helping criminal defendants, according to reports.
Scott Blair, 51, of Hazard, allegedly abused his office as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 33rd Judicial Circuit of Kentucky serving Perry County “to assist various individuals who were facing criminal charges,” according to a statement the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Kentucky released Friday.
Many times, Blair also allegedly “requested something of value, including sexual favors and methamphetamine, from multiple individuals, in exchange for taking actions in his official capacity to help those individuals,” the statement noted.
Blair allegedly solicited methamphetamine or sexual favors using Facebook between 2020 and Mar. 2024, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported, citing a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) affidavit.
Blair appeared to have attended an Rx and Illicit Drugs Summit held Apr. 1-4 in Atlanta, Georgia, according to a photograph of him on his Facebook page.
Blair was charged with “committing honest services wire fraud,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s statement. The charge of honest services wire fraud implied Blair allegedly used “a scheme or artifice to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services,” according to Section 1346 of Title 18 of the U.S. Code. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Fani Willis Handed Lucrative Contracts To Her Alleged Lover’s Law Partner. It’s Starting To Raise Eyebrows.)
Kentucky Attorney Charged for Offering Legal Services to Criminal Defendants in Exchange for Sexual Favors, Drugs #TexasStartup #LegalAgreement #SmallBusiness [Video] Commonwealth Attorney Scott Blair, 51, was charged in federal court with one count of… https://t.co/4fVCE1thvf
— Alicia Musgrove (@AliciaMusSB) April 13, 2024
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman called for Blair’s resignation Friday. “[P]rosecutors cannot be effective if they violate the public trust … the public good demands that Scott Blair immediately resign,” Coleman said in a statement.
Blair resigned from his position Monday, his attorney, Ned Pillersdorf, told the Lexington Herald-Leader. His profile on the Kentucky Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Association website appears to have been removed.
Blair made his initial appearance in court Monday but waived his right to a preliminary hearing and was remanded in jail, the outlet reported.
Pillersdorf could file a future motion for Blair’s release, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. If the motion is granted, Blair nonetheless reportedly would not regain his former position as prosecutor.
Two months ago, another former state felony prosecutor, 51-year-old Ronnie Goldy, was convicted of a similar charge for involving himself in a sexual relationship with a female criminal defendant in exchange for official favors for the defendant, according to a separate statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.