Anabelle Garay
The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE - The woman suing Gov. Paul Patton accused state regulators of fabricating violations and altering patient records to close down her nursing home.

Tina Conner is trying to keep the Cabinet for Health Services from gaining a federal bankruptcy judge's permission to revoke Birchtree Healthcare's license. The debt-ridden nursing home has only 12 residents and never recovered from losing Medicare and Medicaid funding during the summer.

Judge David Stosberg is to issue a ruling Monday.

Regulators alleged that during several visits to the home they found serious violations, including residents who missed medication doses and others who weren't receiving specialized diets.

Ms. Conner and Birchtree administrator Dan Dabney deny there were serious violations. "I have never said there weren't legitimate problems," she said. "They were not of that magnitude."

Ms. Conner and Mr. Dabney also allege that someone from the state's survey team altered a patient's medical administration record during an October visit.

Ms. Conner claims that the cabinet and its inspectors drove Birchtree into bankruptcy after she ended an affair with Mr. Patton. She alleges it was the governor's way of retaliating - a charge now under state and federal investigation.

Mr. Patton has acknowledged the affair but denied doing anything to aid or ruin Ms. Conner's business.