Gov. Beshear Continues Transparency While Republicans Hide Conflicts

GOP demands more from struggling Kentuckians than their own leaders

KENTUCKY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 14, 2022) – As he has every year he has been in office, Gov. Andy Beshear released his 2021 tax returns on Thursday, making it the sixth straight year he has released returns while Republican constitutional officers and legislative leaders have refused and continue to hide any possible conflicts of interest from Kentuckians.

As Gov. Beshear demonstrated again on Thursday, he only has one employer – the people of Kentucky. 

“While Gov. Beshear has continued to lead by example and show Kentuckians he isn’t beholden to any special interests, elected Republicans refuse to be transparent and disclose their conflicts of interest,” said Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Colmon Elridge. “It's clear they are hiding something and Kentuckians deserve to know what it is. While Gov. Beshear turned down a pay raise, Republican elected officials demand more from struggling workers and hungry seniors than they do from their own leaders who make six figures funded by Kentucky taxpayers. If there is nothing to hide and no conflicts of interest, there is no reason for Republicans to hide their tax returns.”

Gov. Beshear and Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman also released their Statements of Financial Disclosure on Thursday. Lt. Gov. Coleman has been the only other statewide elected official to release her taxes in the last six years and also released her 2021 taxes on Thursday.

“This is the same party that votes to give themselves pay raises and a bump in their pension for part-time jobs while waging a war on transparency – reducing debate, hiding redistricting maps, making it easier to ram bills through committee and sneaking in last-minute legislation they pass before anyone including their members know what is in it,” Chair Elridge said. “Kentucky Republican leaders continue to put themselves and their families, their interests and special interests ahead of Kentuckians.”

When he was elected attorney general, Andy Beshear began releasing his tax returns annually and challenging fellow elected leaders to join him in making their returns public to Kentuckians. Then-Attorney General Beshear was the first Kentucky attorney general to have released his taxes for each year he served in the office.

“Throughout my entire time in elected office, I have worked hard to be transparent with Kentuckians and to earn their trust,” Gov. Beshear said in a Thursday release from his office. “All public officials should work to earn the public’s trust and to demonstrate that their only interests are what’s best for the people of the commonwealth. This used to be expected. Now, it’s sadly the exception.”