Today, it was reported that Attorney General Andy Beshear’s office reprimanded Assistant Attorney General Amye Bensenhaver for speaking to a journalist without permission. The move led to Bensenhaver’s retirement yesterday due to ‘considerable duress.’ For 25 years, Bensenhaver, in her role as Assistant Attorney General, has been responsible for directing journalists, private citizens, and government agencies on whether government meetings should be open to the public. Due to that role, she is considered by many as Kentucky’s top authority on open records and open meetings laws.

“As an attorney practicing law for 28 years, and representing school boards and city councils, I have had many occasions to consider open records requests and open meetings issues,” said Leader Hoover. “Amye has always been the go-to person for advice on such issues. Time after time, Kentucky Democrats have made it clear that they oppose transparency in government. But this time, in order to protect themselves, they have done so at the expense of one of Kentucky’s most valuable, professional, and knowledgeable employees.”

Just this week, Hoover called out Greg Stumbo and House Democrats for doing everything within their means to block transparency in Kentucky’s public pension systems and for abusing taxpayer dollars for political gain. “Now, Attorney General Andy Beshear is towing the line on Greg Stumbo’s anti-transparency agenda,” added Hoover. “What are Kentucky Democrats hiding? In nine short months under Andy Beshear, one employee indicted and convicted…one charged criminally…and one bullied into retirement. What’s next?”

“Kentuckians deserve to know what is going on in Frankfort. We must demand transparency, and Andy Beshear and Greg Stumbo owe an explanation to hard-working taxpayers and state employees who are just doing their jobs,” said Hoover. “If in fact it’s true, and Attorney General Andy Beshear bullied a state employee into retirement to protect himself politically, that is a very dangerous precedent.”