New prosecutor OK’d after allegations

? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed off Friday on a successor for a southeast Kansas prosecutor who is accused of accepting money and favors from a strip club in exchange for legal favors.

The Cherokee County Democratic Central Committee picked Labette County Attorney John Bullard on Tuesday to serve the rest of Cherokee County Attorney Michael Goodrich’s term. Officials were waiting to swear in Bullard until Sebelius signed the nomination form.

Goodrich, whose resignation will become official today, faces two federal counts of extortion, one count of wire fraud and another count of intimidating a witness.

The indictment alleges that Goodrich was given money and favors by the owner and the manager of Sensations Gentlemen’s Club in Galena at various times between Jan. 1, 2005, and September 2007. The indictment also alleges that Goodrich dismissed a traffic ticket the manager got on March 29, without his paying any fines or costs.

Goodrich also is charged with trying to intimidate assistant county prosecutor Garth Adams into lying to FBI agents.

Crystal Gatewood, the chairwoman of the Cherokee County Democratic Central Committee, said the nomination process required four ballots because there initially was a tie between Bullard and Adams. Both candidates addressed the group.

“He (Bullard) showed us what he could do in court by the way he spoke,” Gatewood said.

Bullard said he was aware of the scandal because his wife grew up in Cherokee County and her family lives in the area.