Kentucky candidate convicted of extortion last time in office seeking to win back the job

BARBOURVILLE -- One of the candidates for a state House seat in southeastern Kentucky had the job once before but went to prison on federal extortion charges.

Tom “O’Dell” Smith (R), a businessman from Knox County, was first elected to the 86th District seat in 1990 but became the target of an FBI investigation his first term in office.

Smith won re-election while under indictment, but resigned after being convicted in March 1993 of two charges that he took $10,000 to get early parole and lenient treatment for a convicted drug dealer.

Smith testified at his 1993 trial that he misled the drug dealer and his wife about his ability to help them because he saw them as a source of campaign money for other candidates.

Read more: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article243662312.html