Well, how about that.

WFPL:

A secret recording of a campaign strategy session between U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell and his advisors was taped by leaders of the Progress Kentucky super PAC, says a longtime local Democratic operative… Jacob Conway, who is on the executive committee of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, says that day, Shawn Reilly and Curtis Morrison, who founded and volunteered for Progress Kentucky, respectively, bragged to him about how they recorded the meeting… On Feb. 2, McConnell opened his campaign headquarters in the Watterson Office Park in Louisville and invited trusted GOP activists and select media outlets to an open house. The event lasted roughly two hours. Afterward, McConnell and several campaign advisors held a strategy session in an office meeting room. Morrison and Reilly did not attend the open house, but they told Conway they arrived later and were able to hear the meeting from the hallway. “They were in the hallway after the, I guess after the celebration and hoopla ended, apparently these people broke for lunch and had a strategy meeting, which is, in every campaign I’ve been affiliated with, makes perfect sense,” says Conway. “One of them held the elevator, the other one did the recording and they left. That was what they told to me from them directly.”

That explains why the audio is so crappy. They were sneaking around in the hallway. Although it doesn’t explain why David Corn thought he had such a big scoop with “McConnell’s staffers looked at Ashley Judd’s public statements and concluded she has a screw loose.” Guess Corn was just in such a big hurry to GET THE REPUBLICAN that he didn’t really think it through.

As you may recall, Progress Kentucky is the same group that recently had to apologize for racebaiting McConnell’s wife, who was born in Taiwan. What they lack in common sense, they make up for in persistence.

(Hat tip: John Nolte)

Update: And what’s Mother Jones’ role in all this?

Uh oh: Divulging info obtained through illegal eavesdropping is aseparate crime, punishable as a misdemeanor. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §526.060 — Bill Murphy (@billmurphy) April 11, 2013

Update: CREW wants McConnell investigated, not the guys doing the recording. Well, of course. It’s not illegal when they do it.

Update: Remember the old days, when liberals thought that illegally taping one’s political opponents was a bad thing?

This story is really going to catch fire when we find out Prog Kentucky used surveillance drone. — Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) April 11, 2013

Update: Whoops. And double-whoops…

I just watched the video of McConnell responding to the tapes. politico.com/story/2013/04/… Bizarre. — Matt Canter (@mattcanter) April 9, 2013

Update: MKH has more.

Update: Jacob Conway speaks: “The only reason that I came forward with what I knew was, I was trying to protect the Democratic Party.” We know. What other possible reason could there be?

Update: This mea culpa would’ve been better without the wiseass headline, but I know how important it is to save face.

Update: How quickly things change. On Tuesday, Corn was taunting McConnell. Today he’s got no comment. Wonder why not? This is his next big scoop. Take a bow, sir!

Update: Oh man, now it’s getting good. From WHAS in Louisville:

Thru atty, @progressky Shawn Reilly denies taping McConnell meeting, at most a witness, says if anyone’s responsible it’s Curtis Morrison — Joe Arnold (@WHAS11Joe) April 11, 2013

Atty for @progressky‘s Shawn Reilly: Reilly went to US attorney when Mother Jones broke tape & has been cooperating in federal investigation — Joe Arnold (@WHAS11Joe) April 11, 2013

Shawn Reilly atty’s disavow Jacob Conways description of how McConnell meeting taped, (standing in the hallway, holding elevator) — Joe Arnold (@WHAS11Joe) April 11, 2013

Update: Kentucky activist denies wrongdoing in McConnell bugging. Reilly is putting the finger on Morrison, and is cooperating with the feds to find him. Who would’ve thought that anything involving Mitch McConnell could be so much fun?

Update: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!