Kentucky Dems file ethics complaint against AG Cameron for investigating Beshear
One day after Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced his campaign for governor, the Kentucky Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against Cameron alleging that he has unethically investigated Gov. Andy Beshear’s office.
The KDP alleges that Cameron unethically used his public office for a personal political interest when he, before he became a candidate for the opportunity to unseat Beshear as a GOP contender, investigated the governor’s conduct on three scores.
KDP Chair Colmon Elridge announced the filing at a press conference on Thursday, and said that he based the complaint on ethics opinions issued when Republican governors Matt Bevin and Ernie Fletcher were in office. Those opinions stated that former attorneys general, who happened to be Democrats under those governors, could not investigate the governors’ conduct if they were to become their political opponent.
“Daniel Cameron does not get to play by his own rules. It is illegal for a public officer to use or attempt to use his influence in any matter which involves a substantial conflict between personal and private interest and his duties in the public interest,” Elridge said.
According to documents provided by the KDP in their complaint and Gov. Beshear, Cameron’s office had investigated a contract executed with a company that helped remove the Jefferson Davis statue from the capitol rotunda and had subpoenaed the governor’s office for documents related to Unemployment Insurance claims by certain individuals and records related to child care centers selected by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services to provide childcare for essential workers.
Elizabeth Kuhn, spokeswoman for Cameron’s office, said that the office was committed to doing its job “without fear or favor,” and mentioned that the statue investigation was due to a referral from a legislative committee.
“Last year the Office investigated a referral from the Government Contract Review Committee pursuant to KRS 45A.160,” Kuhn wrote. “At that time, the governor’s office used the threat of an ethics complaint in an apparent attempt to prevent this Office from investigating. The Office was not deterred in following the law without fear or favor.”
Beshear at a Thursday press conference emphasized that when he sought to investigate Bevin’s purchase of a home from a political donor and board appointee, the Executive Branch Ethics Commission told him that, unless he was willing to say that he wouldn’t run against Bevin, then he’d risk violating ethics code. Beshear said that just last night Cameron’s office requested documents from Beshear’s team regarding a law firm contract.
Democrats in Kentucky and Washington have wasted no time in criticizing Cameron, as well as fellow statewide constitutional officers who are running for governor in Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles and Auditor Mike Harmon. The Democratic Governors Association released two statements highly critical of both Quarles and Cameron upon their announcement as candidates.
When asked if the complaint had anything to do with how the party views Cameron as a candidate, Elridge said that it doesn’t.
“This should not be seen as any anything other than wanting every candidate to play by the rules,” Elridge said.
According to Spectrum News’ Joe Ragusa, Cameron’s campaign strategist called the complaint “a joke.”
