{Kentucky}...Kentucky's two major gubernatorial candidates were accused Monday of violating state ethics laws. Democratic Governor Steve Beshear was accused by Republican Party Chairman Steve Robertson of pressuring state government employees for campaign contributions. Psychologist Rodney Young, a government employee seeking whistle-blower status, claimed in a letter released publicly Monday that some state workers were threatened with termination unless they contributed to Beshear's re-election campaign. Young, who works for the Department of Juvenile Justice in Louisville, made the accusation in letters to Robertson and Attorney General Jack Conway. Beshear spokesman Matt Erwin dismissed Robertson's claim as "gutter politics," saying Young's complaint is based on "unsubstantiated third party rumors."
A complaint filed with the Legislative Ethics Commission by Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon accuses Republican gubernatorial candidate David Williams of not reporting gambling activity on a 2003 financial disclosure form. As president of the Kentucky state Senate, Williams is required to periodically file documents listing personal financial information. Logsdon says Williams made no mention of his gambling income received in 2002, but the gambling income had been included on personal tax returns that were part of an old divorce file. In the complaint, Logsdon charged that Williams intentionally misled the public by failing to report the income.
