KY Gov Steve Beshear Caught Up In Alleged Strong-Arm Fundraising Scandal
by Dan Riehl
That 20%, or approximately $400,000 of KY Gov Steve Beshear’s current primary dollars comes from state employees and appointees doesn’t help as whistle-blowers have come forward to allege strong-arm tactics were used to solicit campaign dollars on his behalf.
FRANKFORT—The Republican Party of Kentucky and an employee of the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet are alleging Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration strong-armed some state employees for contributions to Beshear’s re-election campaign.
Dr. Rodney Young, a 27-year state employee who works for the Department of Juvenile Justice, delivered a signed letter Monday to RPK Chairman Steve Robertson claiming the Cabinet’s Deputy Secretary, Charles Geveden, pressured him and other state employees for contributions to Beshear’s re-election campaign. The letter was also delivered to Attorney General Jack Conway’s office and Robertson filed complaints with the Executive Branch Ethics Commission and the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.
The complaints cite a December 2010 CNHI News Service story about similar complaints by non-merit — or politically appointed — state employees that they felt pressured to attend a Frankfort fundraiser for Beshear shortly before Christmas. A spokesman for Beshear’s campaign told CNHI News at that time no state employees should feel any pressure to contribute to Beshear’s campaign which “strictly follows all campaign laws.”
There have been similar previous reports involving Beshear, one going back as far as December 2010. This time, however, there is a whistle-blower involved, one who has named other individuals who reportedly suffered the same strong-arm tactics in a quest for campaign cash.
The complaints cite a December 2010 CNHI News Service story about similar complaints by non-merit — or politically appointed — state employees that they felt pressured to attend a Frankfort fundraiser for Beshear shortly before Christmas. A spokesman for Beshear’s campaign told CNHI News at that time no state employees should feel any pressure to contribute to Beshear’s campaign which “strictly follows all campaign laws.”
A Kentucky political blogger has posted documents referenced in some of the reporting.
UPDATE — Since many of you have asked, here are the documents referenced
Beshear has been a strong supporter of whistle-blowers in the past, specifically mentioning both them and major ethics reform as part of his pledge to Kentuckians at his 2007 inauguration. Today, his campaign is whistling a slightly different tune, calling it gossip and rumor mongering in denouncing the individual who came forward. Also, in what seems to be a bit of tit-for-tat, within hours of the reports surfacing, Kentucky’s State Democrat Party filed ethics charges against Beshear’s opponent, Republican challenger David Williams. They involve a relatively small amount of money, $5,ooo, Democrats are accusing Williams of not reporting those winnings on financial disclosure forms.
I expect to earn your trust, not to simply be given it. I expect my administration to be accountable – and it starts at the top, with me.
That’s why one of my first official acts as governor will be to require all my top appointees to take extensive training in laws relating to ethics and the merit system, and to pledge to follow them.
In addition, one of my first proposals to the legislature will be a package of new ethics laws to govern us – increasing penalties for violating the ethics code, strengthening protections for whistleblowers, and changing the way appointments to the Ethics Commission itself are made.
We need to get our own house in order before we can be trusted to do the people’s business. I look forward to working with legislators of both parties to pass tough new ethics and accountability standards we can all be proud of.
We’ve seen too often what happens when the people don’t trust their government. Enacting new ethics standards will help to regain some of that trust.
So will governing effectively, efficiently and humbly. This, I pledge to you.
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19 Comments
For purely personal reasons, I am going to love this topic.
Dan Reihl, thank you.
What about of disloyal cheapskates, only funding 20% of the Governors campaign.
This should be quite entertaining! PAY to STAY phase I. Selling OVERPAID Government JOBS to the high campaign donor will come in Phase II.
Almost as entertaining as Obummer charging $35,000 to his birthday bash!!!!!!!!!!
Took me a minute to verify he was a dim. Should have known immediately when he claimed to rule effectively, efficiently, and honestly – and this he pledges. Sounds just like pelosi when she spouted the most transparent and honest government ever. Yeah, how's that worked for the American people? Not so much, IMHO.
What do you mean, Williams' winnings?
We need to get our own house in order before we can be trusted to do the people’s business. I look forward to working with legislators of both parties to pass tough new ethics and accountability standards we can all be proud of.
The best way to handle the breaking of current laws is to create more laws. Typical.
The DNC is all about extortion and strong armed thug tactics.
You never see conservatives breaking the signs of opponents, setting fires, vandalizing or destroying private property, making bomb threats, beating political adversaries to a pulp, physically threatening individuals for their political beliefs or using economic terrorism against private businesses, seniors, kids and the infirm…
There's 60 years worth of historical audio, video and written evidence plus thousands of criminal case histories that prove unequivocally which party actually engages in extortion and violence to get their way.
We're not letting them get away with it any longer.
Now the radical leftist unionista lunatics are running scared and throwing every vile slur they can at conservatives in a desperate attempt to save their lifelong dependence on government programs.
They have lost the debate and their latest media driven propaganda soundbite antics prove it beyond a doubt.
We will not play their games anymore, 60% of America is awake to how badly they have been used over the past 60 years.
10% are wishy washy clueless fence riders that vacillate in their opinions every two years like clockwork.
30% of American (lunatic leftist radicals) are simply mentally ill and being led to their own demise by the criminally insane.
Face it lefties, your publicly funded free ride is over.
I agree. It would have been helpful if the article specified that Beshear was a democrat in the first paragraph.
ethics and leftists just don't seem comfortable with each other.
YES!!!!!
Finally they caught him and will be bringing out into the open the Crony Capitalism that Beshear and his just as corrupt running mate Jerry Abrahamson have been doing for years. Beshear came into office promising to raise taxes and get everything in order and all he did was raise taxes. Then Abrahamson stepped down from the Mayor of Louisville after being in office for 12 years due to the ongoing Audits that Federal Auditors kept finding problems with the cities books.
This is the kind of mistakes democratic leaders make when they have not been trained as a community organizer. A community organizer knows how to use strong-arm tactics and thug management without taking the blame.
Here is precisely why government unions should be outlawed…. for incestuous reasons we have politicians expecting the big fat payoff for work done. This rings of paying off cops in Mexico so they will excuse the make-believe citation they stopped you for…. no difference here.
"Beshear has been a strong supporter of whistle-blowers in the past…"
Of course, it all depends on who is blowing the whistle. (Down Barney, down! That's NOT what I was referring to.)
As a resident of Louisville, Ky. I am not shocked by this. Ky politics are as dirty as anything. That said, neither Mr. Beashear nor his opponent, David Williams are fit to be a dog catcher, let alone governor of the commonwealth of Kentucky. Both are of the 'good old boy Appalachians' network. And they are as crooked as they come.
No matter who wins, they will continue to ignore Louisville, while it's Louisville that gives the state most of it's taxes.
I thought when "Mayor 4 Life" Jerry quit, that would be the end of Abrahamson in government. Alas, not. If anything putting Mayor Jerr on the ticket will insure Jefferson Co. for Beshear.
It seems that David Williams liked to spent a lot of free time at the Indiana riverboat casinos. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I myself like to go there every month or two. It's enjoyable. Spend $50-80, waste a few hours.
But my problem with that is that Mr. Williams is also against Kentucky Race tracks putting in expanded gaming (either slots, video lottery terminals, casinos) at their locations to supplement racing purses. Even though Indiana, Ohio and West Virgina all have Racinos. But Mr. Williams gets a lot of funding from the Southern Baptists, has single handedly, as President of the Ky. Senate, blocked any bill to put expanded gaming to a vote of the people of the state.
I live in Jefferson county and I sure as hell will not be voting for him. Now i have to convince the rest of the non issue reading voters what the facts are on Mayor Jerry.
What part of town? Is it the People's republic of the Highlands? Inside or outside the Waterson Expressway circle?
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