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Sen. Thad Cochran, challenger in spat over photo

By WTOP Staff

EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran’s campaign said Wednesday that his Republican primary challenger in Mississippi failed to report a potential crime to authorities after learning someone briefly posted an online video with an unauthorized photo of Cochran’s bedridden wife in a nursing home.

The challenger, state Sen. Chris McDaniel, said he had nothing to do with the video and won’t engage the Cochran campaign in an “absurd witch hunt.”

The sharp exchange came a day before a scheduled court appearance for Clayton Thomas Kelly, a conservative blogger who was arrested Friday and charged with a exploiting a vulnerable adult, a felony that would carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison for a conviction. Police on Wednesday added a second felony charge against Kelly, photographing or filming another person without permission where there is expectation of privacy, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Authorities say Kelly photographed 72-year-old Rose Cochran, without permission on Easter Sunday, in the nursing home where she has lived the past 13 years with dementia. The Cochran family says she has lost the ability to speak and is receiving hospice care.

Thad Cochran, 76, and McDaniel, 41, compete in a June 3 primary that pits a former Senate Appropriations committee chairman against a tea party-backed challenger. Cochran was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 after six years in the House. McDaniel was elected to the state Senate in 2007.

Since Kelly’s arrest, the Cochran and McDaniel campaigns have argued about who knew about the online video and what they did or didn’t do about it.

In a radio interview Tuesday with SuperTalk Mississippi, McDaniel said his campaign had nothing to do with the video and if anyone had photographed his wife or mother in a nursing home he would have filed charges the same day. He also questioned why the Cochran campaign waited two weeks before the primary to give information to police.

In a conference call with reporters Wednesday, Cochran campaign spokesman Jordan Russell said the Cochran camp learned about the video shortly after it was posted April 26 because they received text alerts or calls. He said Cochran hired an attorney, who investigated and gave information to police in Madison last Thursday.

Russell said every time McDaniel or his campaign staffers answer questions about the video, “a new version of what should be a very simple story comes out.”

McDaniel on Wednesday released an open letter to Cochran, saying that in the beginning of the campaign, “I respected you as a man of honor.” McDaniel said he’s reconsidering that because he believes the Cochran campaign has slandered him by trying to connect him to Kelly.

“To date, you have refused to come home to Mississippi and debate,” McDaniel wrote. “Until then, I will not engage either your campaign or the liberal media in their absurd witch hunt.”

Kelly, 28, of Pearl, Mississippi, has a blog called Constitutional Clayton, which includes a post that says: “When it comes to Republicans with a bad voting record, you can’t get any worse than Thad Cochran.”

Kelly is in the Madison County Detention Center under $100,000 bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday in Madison city court. His attorney, Kevin Camp, said Kelly voluntarily removed the online video about 90 minutes after posting it and is cooperating with investigators.

Camp told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Kelly does not dispute the accusations against him but notes Kelly did not sneak into the nursing home, having signed in and was given a visitors’ pass.

He said Kelly photographed Rose Cochran through an open door and, “He was doing some investigative journalism, was what he was attempting to do.”

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Follow Emily Wagster Pettus on Twitter: http://twitter.com/EWagsterPettus

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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