Author
Tom Loftus
Spending to lobby Kentucky legislature hit all-time high in 2023, spurred by gambling bills
FRANKFORT — Gambling interests drove lobbying spending in Frankfort to a record level in 2023. More than 800 corporations, associations and other groups reported spending $24.7 million to influence the Kentucky General Assembly last year, according to data posted Thursday on the Legislative Ethics Commission‘s website. That breaks the prior record of $22.4 million spent […]
Weddle blames Beshear fundraiser for letting him make illegal political contributions
FRANKFORT — London Mayor Randall Weddle says he told a fundraiser for Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection in late 2022 that he planned to make political contributions of others on his credit card, but instead of being warned that such a move would be illegal, the fundraiser told Weddle, “Okay sounds great.” Weddle also said that […]
Here’s who gave to Beshear-Coleman inauguration committee
FRANKFORT — Special interest political action committees and wealthy political donors provided the vast majority of $684,000 raised in the closing weeks of 2023 by the inauguration committee of Gov. Andy Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jaqueline Coleman, according to a report filed Wednesday by the committee with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. The report […]
Cameron never came close to matching Beshear campaign’s fundraising
FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign raised and spent more than four times the dollars raised and spent by his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron in this fall’s general election — a difference that figured in Beshear’s victory. Reports filed this week by the two campaigns covering fundraising and spending through the […]
How wealthy donors legally gave even more to Democratic Party during Beshear’s campaign
FRANKFORT — Ahead of? last month’s governor’s race, London Mayor Randall Weddle and other Kentuckians gave big to a type of political committee that allows wealthy donors to make massive legal contributions.? Weddle, whose earlier excess contributions to Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection effort had drawn regulatory scrutiny, contributed $550,000 on Oct. 3 to a national […]
Kentucky Democratic Party far outraised its Republican rival in month before Beshear’s reelection
FRANKFORT — The aggressive fundraising drive by the Kentucky Democratic Party in support of Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection did not take its foot off the gas in October, raising more than triple what the Republican Party of Kentucky collected in the same period. The KDP brought in? $491,474 in contributions during the final full month […]
Weddle’s excess giving to Beshear, Kentucky Democratic Party under investigation
FRANKFORT —? State campaign finance regulators have launched a civil investigation into the excess campaign contributions given by London Mayor Randall Weddle to the reelection campaign of Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party. The Kentucky Registry of Election Finance (KREF) on Monday mailed notice of the investigation to Weddle and other interested parties. […]
Who’s paying for all those campaign ads?
FRANKFORT — About $65 million will be spent in Kentucky’s 2023 general election for governor by the campaigns of Gov. Andy Beshear, his Republican challenger Attorney General Daniel Cameron and myriad outside groups advocating one candidate or the other. Through Oct. 23, the Beshear campaign reported it had raised $18.8 million — three and a […]
London Mayor Weddle gives big to help Democratic candidate for Kentucky attorney general
FRANKFORT — Soon after Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign committee and the Kentucky Democratic Party refunded $202,000 in excess contributions to him, London Mayor Randall Weddle began giving large contributions to promote the election of Democrat Pamela Stevenson for state attorney general. On June 20, Weddle donated $2,000 to Stevenson’s campaign. On June 26, he gave […]
Beshear continues to far outraise Cameron in race for Kentucky governor
FRANKFORT — The final campaign finance reports filed before Election Day show Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s general election committee has raised and spent far more than four times the amount of money that has been raised and spent by his Republican challenger, Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Reports filed by the two campaigns? with the Kentucky […]
Kelly and Joe Craft give the max to Trump’s rivals in GOP field for president
FRANKFORT — Kelly Craft, who failed to secure Donald Trump’s endorsement in last May’s Republican primary for Kentucky governor, has donated to six Republican candidates for president in recent months. None of the six is Donald Trump. Reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show that since June 26 Kelly Craft and her husband Joe […]
Money keeps rolling in for Beshear
FRANKFORT — Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s reelection campaign raised nearly $1.5 million in the past month compared to about $530,000 raised by the campaign of his opponent, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron. Disclosure reports filed by the two campaigns late Wednesday with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance continue to show the Beshear campaign with […]