FRANKFORT — A day after Democratic state Sen. Robin Webb's Republican opponent was accused of helping secretly videotape her, Republicans raised questions about whether Webb used an expletive during a legislative session to describe Senate President David Williams.

Republican senators met privately Friday to discuss whether they want to bring an ethical charge against Webb, D-Grayson, but no charge was immediately filed.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said earlier Friday during his weekly news conference that he has talked to legislative leaders in recent days about Webb's conduct. He declined to elaborate.

Asked about Williams' comment, Webb said she had inquired with the Senate clerk on Wednesday about a resolution she sponsored that Williams had sent to the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

Webb said she was told to ask Williams about it. "I said that won't do me any good," Webb said. "I called him a dictator."

Webb, denied using a four-letter expletive that has the same first three letters as dictator.

Senate clerk Donna Robinson Holiday said she heard Webb refer to Williams with an expletive and said Webb did not use the word "dictator."

Asked what Webb did say, the clerk responded: "I will not say that."

"It was a word that I ask my children not even to say," she said.

The conversation took place while the Senate was in recess for a Rules Committee meeting, Robinson Holiday said. She said she hoped that "a young page" who was nearby did not hear the remark.

The controversy comes after Webb said earlier in the week that a Jan. 27 meeting she had in her Capitol Annex office with the Republican candidate who wants to replace her and a representative of the Kentucky Medical Association was secretly recorded.

Webb, a Democrat from Grayson, said she resented the secret recording during a meeting with GOP rival Dr. Jack Ditty and Dr. Henry Goodman, an Ashland neurologist.

Ditty is a Greenup County dermatologist who lost a special Senate election to Webb last year by 282 votes and has filed to run against her this year. Neither has an opponent in the May 18 primary elections.

Goodman has said he taped the meeting without Ditty's knowledge to compare Webb's comments about a bill dealing with nurse practitioners to what she had said previously about the measure.

Ditty said he did not know the videotaping of Webb was taking place.

Williams said Friday that he thinks Webb is "trying to politicize" the recording.

Williams noted that reporters routinely record their conversations with lawmakers.

He said lawmakers shouldn't say things that they don't want recorded.

"You should conduct yourself in any kind of meeting you have in a public place so you don't care if you are recorded or not," he said.

House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, said at the weekly news conference with Williams that he tells all House members to assume that everything they say is being taped.

"Politics is a contact sport," he said.

Preston P. Nunnelley, the legislative chairman for the Kentucky Medical Association, issued a statement Friday condemning the recording and apologizing to Webb.

"The KMA was surprised to hear that a recording was reportedly made by one of its members during a legislative meeting with Sen. Robin Webb," Nunnelley said.

"KMA leadership and staff do not urge members to record meetings with legislators and do not condone the recording of the meeting with Sen. Webb."

Nunnelley said he "took steps to ensure the recording was deleted" and will report the incident to the group's board "to determine if additional action is necessary."