Kentucky Association of Counties
From Sunshine Review
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[edit] Audit
- See Summery of Questionable Expenditures and the Full Audit from State Auditor Crit Luallen.
A state audit of the association found that its leaders "used county funds to spend lavishly on themselves, from show tickets and carriage rides to generous fringe benefits", amounting to $3 million in questionable charges over three years (2007-2009). [1]
[edit] Taxpayer-funded legal defense for officials
[edit] Cases
The Kentucky Association of Counties paid $51,000 in legal defense fees for former Owen County Judge Executive William P. O'Banion who was charged with theft and misspending public money last year.[2]
Knott County Judge Executive Randy Clinton Thompson had his defense covered by the county's insurance through KACo after a federal grand jury indicted him on charges related to an alleged vote-buying scheme during the 2006 election.[3] A jury in U.S. District Court in Pikeville convicted Thompson last year, although he is appealing.
[edit] Background
The group's taxpayer-funded insurance policy can pay the legal bills of elected officials accused of crimes against taxpayers. KACo considers their coverage of up to $100,000 in criminal defense fees for elected officials (as opposed to appointed officials) to be an "incidental coverage enhancement" to their county liability insurance coverage.[3] KACo selects criminal defense attorneys from a pool of 15 to 20 law firms and pays them $140 an hour. [3]
Private insurers, who are KACo's competitors, don't offer criminal legal defense coverage. [3]
Currently, 112 counties carry the insurance.[2]
[edit] Concerns
John Logan Brent, the judge executive in Henry County, has noted that insurance to cover legal fees for being sued is necessary, but as for criminal defense: "If it has something to do with their job and they're found innocent then I could see the reason for it [...] If they're found guilty, perhaps they should pay those costs back."[3]
Judge Executive Carolyn Keith, who replaced O'Banion in Owen County, is opposed to county's insurance covering O'Banion's tab. "That's actually the taxpayers' money," she said, adding that it only amplifies public mistrust of officials. "That's how I felt when this happened in Owen County. It's like an epidemic in this state, and it's got to stop."[3]
[edit] Additional reading
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ↑ Lexington Herald-Leader "KACo audit finds $3 million in excessive spending; includes bonuses and benefits", October 29, 2009
- ↑ 2.0 2.1
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Criminal defense part of KACo coverage", July 01, 2009
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