The wife of state Sen. Fred Hemmings entered a not-guilty plea this morning to three charges of stealing money from a nonprofit she formerly headed.

Lydia Hemmings said nothing in the brief court hearing but her husband said after that he believes she has been targeted for prosecution for political purposes.
Hemmings said board members at Blueprint for Change, the charity that Lydia Hemmings directed until 2006, resolved questions about her handling of the charity’s finances after an audit was completed more than two years ago.
“There was an audit done of the organization. They gave Lydia their blessing and everybody went their separate ways,” the senator said.
Officials of Blueprint for Change have not returned calls for comment on the case.
A former employee at the nonprofit complained to the attorney general’s office, which did nothing with the case until last week, when Mrs. Hemmings was indicted on three theft charges just before the statute of limitations was about to expire on one of the counts.
That former employee may have “a political agenda” against Fred Hemmings, the senator said.
Asked why the attorney general in a Republican state administration would accommodate a third party’s “political agenda” against a Republican senator, Hemmings shook his head and said he didn’t know.
He said he and his wife have been “quite stunned” by the criminal charges.
Deputy Attorney General Christopher Young declined comment on the case after leaving court.
Circuit Judge Derrick Chan scheduled trial in the case for the week of July 13.
The defendant, who is represented by defense attorney Howard Luke, is free after posting $5,000 bail.