Lawsuit against House candidate in Lexington won’t be heard until after Election Day
Voters in a state House race Tuesday in Lexington did not know the outcome of a lawsuit pending against one of the candidates that claims he fails to meet residency requirements.
The lawsuit, filed by Lexington Realtor Alicia Huff on June 11, called for Aaron Yates to be disqualified from the June 23 Republican primary election for the 88th House District. He faces attorney Monteia Mundy in a contest that has been overshadowed by a DUI charge against Mundy.
A clerk in Fayette Circuit Judge Julie Goodman’s office said Tuesday that a hearing on the issue has been scheduled for 1 p.m. June 30. No reason was given for the delay.
Huff’s attorney, Steven J. Megerle of Covington, said he is glad the court has set a hearing date to determine Yate’s eligibility. “I understand with the court’s reopening that scheduling was a problem,” he said in reference to the coronavirus pandemic.
If Mundy wins, Megerle said he would hope Yates would concede the race and “not waste the court’s time in having to litigate this issue.” Results from the election aren’t expected to be released until June 30.
Yates’ attorney, Chris Wiest of Crestview Hills, said he feels confident Yates will win the election and that “we will show in court that this entire complaint against him has been a lie.”
Wiest said he believes Mundy is behind the lawsuit. She has denied that.
The race between Mundy and Yates has drawn publicity because of a DUI charge earlier this year against Mundy. She pleaded guilty to it and publicly apologized but Yates said it shows a character flaw in her that should keep her out of the House.
Mundy was arrested the night of April 25 in Madison County and charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and failing to wear a seat belt. She later pleaded guilty to the DUI and the other two charges were dismissed. She said she had taken medication earlier that day, apologized, and asked for forgiveness.
In the lawsuit, Huff, who is a registered voter in the 88th House District, claims Yates does not meet the constitutional requirements of residing in the district for a year and in the state for two years prior to the general election, which will be held Nov. 3.
The suit contends that Yates was a resident of Colorado from 2018 until Jan. 14, 2020, as an employee of Colorado Liberty PAC, a political action committee focusing on electing candidates.
Yates maintains that he always has had a Kentucky address and consistently has paid Kentucky taxes.
Kentucky’s 88th House District lies in the southeastern part of Fayette County. It is now represented by Democrat Cherlynn Stevenson, a non-profit event planner. She is unopposed in the June 23 Democratic primary election.
This story was originally published June 23, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
