5:50
News Story
KY Republican HQ building fund tops $3.2 million, most from corporations with lobbying interests
Rendering of the planned addition to the Republican Party of Kentucky headquarters in Frankfort. Architects said they strove for consistency with “the unique and eclectic mix of buildings” in the historic residential neighborhood near the state Capitol. (City of Frankfort)
FRANKFORT? – The Republican Party of Kentucky Building Fund raised another $314,750 in the past three months for its project to expand its state headquarters known as the “Mitch McConnell Building.”
This brings the total raised for the project to more than $3.2 million, with the vast majority of that coming in large contributions from big corporations with lobbying interests in Washington and Frankfort.
Pfizer gives $1 million to Republican Party of Kentucky to expand its headquarters
The building fund reported to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance this week that its donors during the quarter ending June 30 were: alcoholic beverage producer Beam Suntory, of New York, $100,000; AT&T, of St. Louis, $100,000; Keeneland, of Lexington, $50,000; Barbara R. Banke Revocable Trust, of Geyserville, California, $50,000; National Thoroughbred Racing Association., of Lexington, $12,500.
Also, three prominent Frankfort lobbyists – John McCarthy, Patrick Jennings and Collin Johnson – are listed as donating $750 each.
In the spring the party released its plans to build a 6,800-square-foot building on a vacant lot adjacent to — and connected to — its current headquarters at the corner of Third Street and Capital Avenue in Frankfort. The party plans to begin construction later this year.
The state Republican headquarters is named in honor of Kentucky’s longest-serving U.S. senator, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Largest donors to the Republican Party of Kentucky Building Fund since late 2022
Pfizer Inc., New York ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $1,000,000
NWO Resources, Greenwood Village, CO ? ? ? ? ? $500,000
AT&T, St. Louis ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $300,000
Verizon, Washington, DC? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $300,000
Metropolitan Life Insurance, New York ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $300,000
Boeing Company PAC, Arlington, VA? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?$100,000
Beam Suntory, New York? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?$100,000
Churchill Downs., Louisville? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $100,000
Altria (Philip Morris USA), Richmond, VA? ? ? ? ? ?$100,000
Microsoft Corporation, Reno ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $100,000
Comcast Corporation, Philadelphia ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?$100,000
Keeneland, Lexington ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $50,000
Delta Air Lines, Atlanta ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?$50,000
Jockey Club, New York ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? $50,000
Barbara Banke Revocable Trust, Geyserville, CA ?$50,000
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.
Our stories may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. We ask that you edit only for style or to shorten, provide proper attribution and link to our website. AP and Getty images may not be republished. Please see our republishing guidelines for use of any other photos and graphics.
Tom Loftus
Tom Loftus is a native of Cincinnati and a graduate of The Ohio State University. His long career in Kentucky journalism includes four years as Frankfort bureau chief for The Kentucky Post and 32 years as Frankfort bureau chief for The Courier Journal. He is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and a freelance reporter for the Kentucky Lantern.
