Ethics panel investigates Daniel Cameron over donations to KY governor campaign
The Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission has opened an investigation into former Attorney General Daniel Cameron, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2026, over campaign donations he allegedly solicited while running for governor two years ago.
The allegations released by the commission Wednesday said Cameron contacted a health care provider who receives state Medicaid funds and influenced him to hold a fundraising event and solicit contributions for his gubernatorial campaign, asking for a specific minimum of $30,000.
During the conversation with the business owner Cameron referred to his position as attorney general and its official duties protecting the use of Medicaid funds awarded to health care providers, according to the allegations of violations.
The allegations claim this conversation took place in spring 2022, but previous reporting on the incident suggests it happened in March 2023, when Cameron’s campaign was in full swing.
Cameron won the GOP nomination handily but went on to lose the 2023 general election to incumbent Democrat Andy Beshear.
The AFL-CIO filed the complaint with the ethics commission that prompted the investigation.
The complaint centered around Edgewater Recovery Center in Morehead.
The facility was under investigation by Cameron’s Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. News reports from the Associated Press and The Daily Beast indicated that Cameron or his campaign solicited donations from Edgewater.
At the time, Cameron said he recused himself once he was made aware of the conflict and refunded the money.
“There were preliminary conversations about hosting an event. Once we were made aware of a conflict, the event was canceled. When they later made online contributions, I recused myself and the contributions were refunded,” Cameron said in 2023.
Still, the AFL-CIO requested the ethics investigation, alleging that Cameron may have improperly used his official position for his own political gain.
Beshear referred the matter to the FBI. Cameron did the same regarding a donor linked to more than $200,000 in donations to Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party, well over the legal limit.
In a statement released on social media Wednesday, Cameron attacked the ethics commission for revealing its investigation two years after the events in question, once he declared his candidacy to replace Republican Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate.
“I announced my candidacy for the United States Senate in February, I’m leading in all the polls, and now the ethics commission decides to act on a two-year-old case,”Cameron said. “This is the definition of political persecution. It’s the exact same thing they tried to do to President Trump, but like President Trump I won’t let the left beat me.
“I’ve never run away from tough fights — not when angry mobs protested on my front lawn and certainly not when the left tried to strip away your constitutional rights. I’m going to fight this just like I’ll continue fighting for the great people of this commonwealth every single day,” Cameron said.
Cameron also took a swipe at the panel’s membership, referring to it as “Andy Beshear’s ethics commission.”
All five of the current members of the Executive Branch Ethics Commission were appointed by Beshear, though a law recently passed by the GOP-led state legislature replaced most of his appointment power to that board in favor of future picks made by Republican-held executive branch offices like attorney general and secretary of state.
An administrative law judge will be assigned to hear the ethics case and recommend an outcome to the commission.
If the commission finds that Cameron violated Kentucky’s state ethics law, he could face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for the one count cited.
The ethics law cited by the commission, KRS 11A.020, says that no public servant shall use or attempt to use his influence in any matter which involves a substantial conflict between his personal interest and his duties in the public interest; or use his official position to obtain financial gain for himself; or use his official position to secure privileges or advantages for himself in derogation of the public interest.
This story was originally published May 14, 2025 at 1:27 PM.
