RPK Spokesman to Andy Beshear: Stop Playing Politics

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 19, 2016
CONTACT: Tres Watson, Communications Director Republican Party of Kentucky, (859) 803-0447

RPK Spokesman to Andy Beshear: Stop Playing Politics

Attorney General Andy Beshear should stop using politically motivated lawsuits to cover up his own failures, said Republican Party of Kentucky spokesman Tres Watson in a statement Thursday.  The release comes a day after a Franklin District Court Judge ruled in favor of Governor Matt Bevin in a lawsuit concerning cuts to university funding.

“Using politically motivated lawsuits against the Governor to distract the public is no way for an Attorney General to behave,” said Watson.  “If I were him, I’d be more worried about what’s going on in his own office because his scandal-plagued administration has been an embarrassment.  Kentuckians deserve better from their public servants.”

Since taking office, Andy Beshear’s office has been rocked by scandals.  Deputy Attorney General Tim Longmeyer, formerly Personnel Cabinet Secretary under Governor Steve Beshear, was arrested and later pled guilty to federal charges relating to a massive kickback and illegal campaign donation scheme.  The younger Beshear announced his own investigation into the matter, defiantly refusing to recuse himself, only to bow to public pressure and reverse course a week later and appoint a special prosecutor to the matter.

Beshear again encountered problems on the Longmeyer matter when Lexington Herald-Leader reporter John Cheves received emails involving Longmeyer, requested through an open records request, only to find entire emails redacted by the Attorney General’s office.  Once again, Beshear reversed course and released the full emails after public pressure was brought to bear on his administration.

Another Steve Beshear-turned-Andy Beshear aide, former Democratic State Representative Don Pasley was charged with a DUI following a traffic stop where he recorded a 0.256 blood alcohol level.  Six weeks passed until he was finally forced to resign.

Scandals and mistakes have not only plagued Beshear on personnel matters.  Before the loss in Franklin District Court Wednesday, he was handed an earlier defeat by the Executive Branch Ethics commission, which rejected his claims that the Governor did not have authority to launch a wide-ranging ethics investigation of his own into multiple allegations of wrongdoing by the administration of Steve Beshear.

Beshear has also wrongly challenged the Governors authority to remove members of boards and commissions appointed by the previous Governor, a right that has been afforded to every former Governor, including the Attorney General’s father, Steve Beshear.

“The Attorney General needs to realize that the election is over,” said Watson. “The people have spoken and Matt Bevin was elected Governor.  After eight long years of the Beshear Administration, Governor Bevin is working hard to restore the people’s trust in Government; Andy Beshear needs to consider doing the same and he can start by cleaning up his own office.”

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