FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -- Former Kentucky Lt. Gov. Steve Henry has entered a plea on three misdemeanor charges of violating campaign finance rules. Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate on Tuesday accepted a plea agreement that allows Henry to avoid a possible jail sentence. Henry entered what is known as an "Alford plea," in which he maintained his innocence but acknowledged that enough evidence exists to possibly convict him. Henry said he entered the plea to put the matter behind him. He referred to the investigation as a "political witch hunt." Prosecutors had been looking into whether Henry violated election-finance laws during his failed run for governor in 2007. Henry finished third in the Democratic primary, behind current Gov. Steve Beshear and businessman Bruce Lunsford. (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
