Blogger sentenced to prison for photo scandal

JACKSON, Miss. — A Mississippi blogger who pleaded guilty to burglary for going into a nursing home to photograph the ailing wife of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran was sentenced to five years in prison, a county court judge ruled on Monday.

Clayton Kelly, 29, who will be released on probation after 2 1/2 years, was one of several people implicated in a plot to take photos of bedridden Rose Cochran last year for a video alleging senator was having an affair.

The group supported Chris McDaniel, who unsuccessfully sought Cochran’s seat. McDaniel has not been tied to the incident.

During the sentencing hearing, investigators told the court that Kelly and former conservative radio host John Mary got the layout of the nursing home from late attorney and Mississippi Tea Party leader Mark Mayfield, who committed suicide last year.

An investigator testified that Kelly told him he was “sick to my stomach” after taking the photos of Cochran’s wife, who suffered dementia up to her death in December, but decided to use one anyway in a video for his website, “Constitutional Clayton.”

He told investigators it took a comment on the video to make him realize “this is wrong. What am I doing?”

Investigators told the court that FBI forensics found the photo from the video on Kelly’s computer hard drive.

Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said the scheme could be summed up in one statement from Kelly’s wife, Tara. “She said, ‘This was a stupid idea that was just plain wrong,’” Guest said.

Richard Sager, a school teacher, was charged with conspiracy and tampering with evidence in the case. He is in a pre-trial diversion program and will not be prosecuted if he successfully completes it, Guest said.

Mary pleaded guilty to conspiracy in August and was sentenced to five years of supervised probation in exchange for helping the investigation.

In May, Cochran, 77, married long-time aide Kay Webber.