From the Kentucky Democratic Party: Matt Bevin corruption watch

Matt Bevin’s time as governor is stained with corruption, cronyism, and scandals.

Working families in Kentucky are worried about rising health costs, earning enough to raise their families, keeping the lights on at their public schools, and the future of their pensions. But instead of looking out for Kentuckians, Matt Bevin has been using the governor’s office and taxpayer dollars to enrich himself and his cronies — while keeping his own tax returns a secret.

Follow along as we update this project to continue exposing Matt Bevin’s corruption and cronyism.

Here is exactly how Matt Bevin has been using the governor’s office and our taxpayer dollars to enrich himself and his cronies:

Corruption & Self-Enrichment:

• Matt Bevin purchased a multi-million dollar mansion for a steep discount from a friend and political donor, who then received a major tax giveaway for the transaction.
• Matt Bevin chose to skip paying property taxes on his mansion until media reports called him out on it.
• A company owned partly by Matt Bevin received over $1 million through a state program.

Cronyism:

• Matt Bevin gave his long-friend friend, Charles Grindle, a government position and a taxpayer-funded $215,000 raise. In total, Grindle now makes $375,000 a year, which is roughly 10 times bigger than what the starting salary is for a Kentucky State Police Officer, while Kentucky public school teachers remain underpaid.
• The Bevin administration supports giving a controversial, no-bid $8.5 million government contract to an organization run by a member of the Bevin administration, who already earns a $120,000 taxpayer-funded salary.

Using Taxpayer Resources to Do Political Dirty Work:

• Matt Bevin has given over $500,000 in taxpayer funds to a law firm, with direct ties to the Kentucky Republican Party, to investigate his political rivals, which over the course of 3 years has “produced no criminal charges.”
• Louisville Courier Journal columnist Joe Gerth detailed how Matt Bevin’s office potentially violated the law by using taxpayer resources to send out a “purely political attack” about Andy Beshear after he opposed the governor’s new lawsuit because it would slash health care protections for people with pre-existing health conditions.

Paid for by the Kentucky Democratic Party.