London council may begin the process of removing its controversial mayor again
The London City Council will vote on a measure Friday to remove Mayor Randall Weddle from office after a court in June found he did not meet the residency requirements to run for reelection.
Members of the council will consider a resolution and municipal order calling on Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman to file legal action against Weddle seeking his immediate removal.
It’s the latest development in a public spat between the council and Weddle’s administration that came into sharper focus last year when he was removed from office only to be reinstated by a Laurel Circuit Court judge just two weeks later.
Weddle, who has six months left in his term, was removed from the November general election ballot by a different judge last month after a series of lengthy hearings determined he does not actually live in the London home he listed in his reelection paperwork. Weddle has said he disagrees with that decision but will accept it.
But he still intends to finish out the rest of his term. Weddle didn’t immediately respond to a Herald-Leader request for comment Thursday.
Yet, the state law that requires candidates to reside within the city limits applies to elected officials as well, and the city council wants the AG’s office to enforce that provision, too.
The attorney general has the power to take what’s called usurper action against local elected officials when an internal investigation determines they don’t meet the qualifications to hold their respective posts. Actually filing a case against an official is exceedingly rare, officials told the Herald-Leader. Typically, a local office-holder resigns if the AG’s office finds an ouster complaint has merit, but investigations often don’t lead to any action at all.
The fresh circuit court decision against Weddle is likely to hold a lot of weight, but Weddle would be given an opportunity to sit down and meet with investigators if the city council moves forward with its request.
In a last-ditch effort to preserve his position on the November general election ballot this year, the mayor told the court he has avoided living at his London address because he fears an assassination attempt against him by angry opponents within the city limits.
According to the court, Weddle has been living in Keavy, about 10 miles south of town.
The request could also put the AG’s office in an uncomfortable position.
Coleman, a Republican, is actively pursuing criminal charges against Weddle for allegedly funneling money to prominent Kentucky Democrats on behalf of his family members and business associates in violation of individual campaign donor limits.
Weddle’s term has been marked by political disputes with the council and back-to-back state and federal lawsuits alleging everything from sexual harassment to defamation.
He’s also been under immense financial pressure since the AG’s office first filed charges against him. American Express says he’s failed to make regularly scheduled payments on more than $860,000 of personal and corporate credit card debt.
This week, the lending arm for Italian luxury automaker Lamborghini filed proceedings against Weddle to repossess a $280,000 car he bought in 2022. The company filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss that case Thursday. An attorney for Weddle didn’t immediately respond to a Herald-Leader request for comment.
