Fletcher's legal defense fund: Nothing to see, Dems, just move along
Former Gov. Fletcher released the names of contributors to his legal defense fund today, as required by state law.
Prior to the election, which Fletcher lost, Democrats tried to make the names of the contributors a campaign issue. They wanted to exploit any possibility that Fletcher was rewarding contributors to that fund with fat state contracts.
The list of contributors as printed in the Courier-Journal shows nothing of the sort.
The major donors were Robbie Rudolph, Fletcher's Finance & Administration secretary and running mate in last year's race, and Don and Mira Ball, two prominent supporters of his from Lexington. They contributed more than half of the total in the fund.
So the loudmouth Democrats who screamed long and hard about this can shut up now. There was never any "there" there.
posted by K-Pac II @ 2:30 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Doesn't seem like there was much money there either
How do you know when Beshear is lying? When he is talking to reporters. Yesterday the Courier-Journal reported that Beshear told the C-J reporter that he had solved the $262 million budget shortfall.
Today, he is insisting to the Herald-Leader that the shortfall is over $400 million. So did he lie yesterday, today or both days? More than likely he lied both days.
In addition, KRS 48.130 mandates that all state agencies prepare budgets that include provisons for spending reductions in the event of a revenue shortfall of 5% or less. If the revenue short fall occurs, The Governor, Chief Justice and LRC are required to implement the pre-determined reduction plans across the board in all three branches of government.
The projected revenue shortfall is $117 million, which is less than a 5% decrease in projected revenue. Therefore, KRS 48.130 applies.
Beshear is not entitled to make further cuts until the budget reduction plans are implemented across all three branches of government, if at all.
Jack Conway has been on the job for less than two days and he already is faced with his first big decision. Does he allow the Governor to break the law, or does he insist that Beshear follow the law? With a lawsuit if necessary.
I seem to recall that Stumbo had no problems suing Fletcher as well as prosecuting him. So, now the ball is in Conway's court.
Maybe you guys can put heat on Conway. Keep up the good work.
From a Herald-Leader story wherein Governor Beshear was trying to defend his illegal budget cutting order which directly violates KRS 48.130:
"Beshear's staffers maintain the governor has done nothing wrong.
"He's executing the same authority that prior governors have executed," said state Budget Director Mary Lassiter."
That's a classic line isn't it? Didn't the editors of the Herald-Leader and Courier-Journal excoriate Fletcher when he argued that what he did with the merit hiring system was no different than what other governors had done?
Can we expect the same editorials from the C-J and H-L against Beshear? Or his clear violation of KRS 48.130 okay because "they did it too"?
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