Annette Bosworth has just walked out of her second hearing at the Hughes County Courthouse. The judge has set November 13 –14 as the failed GOP Senate candidate's trial date for twelve counts of perjury and filing a false oath. The court will hold a motions hearing on September 2.
Brandon Taliaferro, Bosworth's attorney, has issued this statement on behalf of his client:
My client is fully committed to defending the charges filed against her. Dr. Bosworth is no longer associated with her former spokesman Mr. Stranahan. He does not speak for her, he does not speak for her defense and he does not speak for me. This case will be tried in a court of law, not the court of public opinion [Brandon Taliaferro, press release, 2014.07.15].
Lee Stranahan received at least $5,000 from the Bosworth for Senate campaign. The itinerant conservative Texas blogger figured prominently in extending the media circus surrounding Bosworth's arrest and initial response to the formal charges from Attorney General Marty Jackley.
Update 11:54 CDT: In related news, Bob Newland of the South Dakota Libertarian Party informs this blog that both Bosworth and her husband Chad Haber called him last night "to let me know that Chad intended to attend the SDLP convention, and to ask for our nomination of him to the ballot for AG. Chad asked me not to distribute that for general consumption until after Annette's hearing in Pierre today."
Hmm... if Haber thought that announcing his candidacy might have some negative impact on today's hearing in Pierre, maybe Haber should consider keeping his political ambitions in check until after the entire trial is done.
