Former Kentucky master commissioner reprimanded for misappropriating $81,000
A former Bullitt County master commissioner was publicly reprimanded Tuesday by the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission over an accusation that he misappropriated $81,000 from the sale of a property involved in a court case.
John A. Schmidt was removed from his position as master commissioner in 2019 after it was found that he misappropriated the $81,000 after a property sale his office oversaw, according to an order released by the Judicial Conduct Commission.
Master commissioner’s offices assist courts with cases that require the sale of property.
Schmidt is accused of altering the endorsement stamps on the checks from the property sale and putting the money into an account that was unaffiliated with the Bullitt County Master Commissioner’s Office.
The Judicial Conduct Commission voted unanimously that Schmidt had misappropriated the money and failed to collect and disburse costs of sale in a timely manner in other cases. In response to the findings, the commission issued a public reprimand. In the order, the commission noted that it would have also removed Schmidt from the office had he not already been removed in 2019 by the Bullitt County Circuit Court.
“Misappropriation of funds related to a judicial sale is a very serious offense, and this conduct was a significant violation of public trust placed in the judiciary to competently and diligently perform its functions with integrity,” the commission wrote in the order. “In addition, respondent’s failure to collect and disburse costs of sale in numerous cases is a substantial dereliction of duty.”
Schmidt was initially also accused of acting as a public administrator on cases in Bullitt County while he was master commissioner, which would be in violation of state law, according to the commission’s order. But the commission voted unanimously that there was not proof or clear evidence that that accusation was true.
This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 4:10 PM.
