Operation Boptrot
Operation Boptrot, also referred to as Boptrot, was an investigation by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into corruption among the Kentucky General Assembly, the Commonwealth's legislature. The operation was highly successful, with the investigation culminating in several indictments in 1992, leading to the conviction of more than a dozen legislators between 1992 and 1995. The investigation also led to reform legislation being passed in 1993. Operation The sting, dubbed Operation Boptrot, involved legislators who accepted bribes and other illegal inducements to support horse-racing legislation in Kentucky. The FBI's original targets were the Business, Organization, and Professions Committees (the "BOP" in Boptrot) in the Kentucky House of Representatives and the Kentucky Senate. Those two committees oversaw state laws regulating horse racing (the "trot"). The exposé was especially notable for revealing how cheaply the legislators were willing to sell their votes. Convictions Legislators convicted as a result of Operation Boptrot included: House Speaker Don Blandford (D) was convicted after a trial on charges of extortion, racketeering and lying. He was sentenced to 64 months in prison and was fined $10,000. Buel Guy (D) aide to Don Blandford and former legislator pled guilty to lying to the FBI. Bruce Wilkinson,