London Mayor Indicted on Felonies for Secretly Bankrolling Beshear’s Campaign
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced four Class D felony charges Tuesday against London Mayor Randall Weddle, accusing him of funneling excessive campaign donations totaling $305,500+ to Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party during Beshear’s 2023 reelection.
London mayor faces 4 felony charges for donations to KY Gov. Beshear, state Democrats
by Tom Loftus, Kentucky Lantern
March 31, 2026
A Laurel County Grand Jury has indicted London Mayor Randall Weddle on four felony counts, alleging he made excessive campaign contributions to the 2023 campaign of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party.
The indictments were returned Tuesday afternoon and announced in a brief news release by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, whose office led the investigation.
Each of the counts is a Class D felony.
The charges are the first stemming from a story published in April 2023 by the Kentucky Lantern that revealed the unusual nature of massive bundles of contributions from Weddle’s family, employees, friends and associates — totaling at least $305,500, perhaps much more — to help Beshear win reelection in 2023.
Coleman has scheduled a news conference later Tuesday to provide further information about the case.
The Lantern’s story in April of 2023 outlined not only the large amount of money listed as donations by the Beshear campaign committee and Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP), but other unusual aspects of the contributions such as the fact that most of the donations were in large amounts but none of the listed donors had ever before made a large political contribution.
Beshear and his campaign manager Eric Hyers declined to be interviewed for the Lantern story.
At a news conference days after the story was published Beshear avoided directly answering a question about the unusual contributions. “We’ve had support from Democrats and Republicans, thousands and thousands and thousands of people from across Kentucky and across the United States. But all of those had been voluntary …” Beshear said.
But shortly after that news conference, Weddle has said, he reported a problem to Beshear: Much of the money attributed in disclosure reports as contributions from his family and friends had actually been donated on his personal credit card. Weddle contended this had been inadvertent and done because Beshear’s chief fundraiser, Lucas Johnson, had indicated it was okay to advance campaign contributions of other people in such a manner.
But under Kentucky law it is illegal to give a campaign donation in the name of another person, or even to advance a contribution of another person and later be reimbursed by that person. Intentional violations of the law are Class D felonies punishable by jail sentence of up to five years and a fine of $10,000.
After hearing Weddle’s story attorneys for Beshear’s campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party told the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance about the matter. The campaign and party refunded to Weddle $202,000 — the amount of excess donations he had made on his credit card.
Because he was then running for governor against Beshear, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron said state ethics laws prohibited him from launching an investigation of his opponent. Cameron referred the matter to the FBI, which has declined to say whether or not it is investigating the contributions.
Soon after Beshear beat Cameron in the general election, the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance began an investigation. The registry has the authority to impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation of campaign finance laws, but if the registry determines that a violation is intentional it can refer the case to the attorney general for possible criminal violation.
The investigation nearly came to an end in February of 2025 when the registry staff recommended a finding that Weddle’s many violations of the law were unintentional and that he be fined $5,000 per violation. But registry board members complained the staff investigation still left many important questions unanswered. Board members — Democrats and Republicans alike — did not want to surrender the option of referring the matter for criminal prosecution and voted 6-0 to continue the investigation.
The Lantern obtained records of the registry investigation through the Kentucky Open Records Act and it had found that —despite his early insistence that he had nothing to do with the Beshear contributions — Weddle orchestrated all of the contributions.
The records included 86 text messages between Weddle and Beshear fundraiser Lucas Johnson between Dec. 27 and Dec. 31 of 2022 in which the pair scrambled to gather contributions before a deadline of midnight Dec. 31. Johnson suggests names to Weddle of Weddle’s family and business associates who gave big exactly one year before. Weddle transmitted contributions to the portals of Beshear political committees. Johnson confirmed the contributions had been delivered.
At the end of the exchange on the night of Dec. 30, 2022 Weddle texted, “I have got you $219K this week.”
Johnson replied, “Yessir you have! …Thank you so much. I’ve let the man know.”
This story will be updated.
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
Each felony carries up to 5 years in jail and $10K fines. Coleman will detail the case at a Tuesday news conference. Beshear’s campaign did not immediately comment.
EX-GOV BEVIN FACES JAIL: Judge Orders Arrest Unless He Reveals Hidden Finances to Estranged Son
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin was sentenced to 60 days in Jefferson County Jail Tuesday after Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson found him in contempt for repeatedly defying orders to disclose financial records—tax returns, bank statements, assets—in a support battle with his adopted son Jonah Bevin, 19.
Judge sentences ex-Gov. Bevin to jail that he can avoid by disclosing financial info
by Deborah Yetter, Kentucky Lantern
March 24, 2026
LOUISVILLE — A judge sentenced former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin to 60 days in jail after finding him in contempt of court for failing to disclose his financial details in a year-long legal battle with his estranged son, Jonah Bevin.
It is an extraordinary development for the one-term Republican governor who the judge said has resisted repeated orders to disclose personal financial details as his adopted son, now 19, seeks support in Jefferson Family Court after alleging that his parents abandoned him.
“Your arrest warrant will be issued today,” Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson said in imposing the sentence on Bevin, who was not present in the courtroom and attended by Zoom, though he had been ordered to appear in person for the hearing.
The judge later Tuesday entered a written order calling for the arrest of Bevin to serve 60 days in the Jefferson County Jail unless he posts a $500 cash bond and produces “financial records, bank statements, tax returns and all other documents that would show the receipt of income.”
Bevin told the judge he had to travel out of state to attend the funeral Monday of the father of his ex-wife, Glenna Bevin, and was on his way back to Kentucky. He did not disclose his location.
Bevin, at the hearing, interrupted the judge several times, seeking to correct her and arguing he was trying to provide the required information but needed more time to collect financial records.
But Johnson told Bevin he had been asked repeatedly by the court to provide information commonly produced in family court cases where child support is at stake.
“Every litigant in the commonwealth has to provide such information,” Johnson said to Bevin, who appeared to be attending from an office setting but didn’t say where he was. “I cannot treat Mr. Bevin or Mrs. Bevin any differently.”
Glenna Bevin was not subject to the contempt order because she has provided financial information.
It’s not clear when the arrest warrant would be served or when Bevin plans to return to Kentucky. He did not state where he was during Tuesday’s hearing.
Johnson said he could be relieved of the jail sentence once he produced requested financial information including tax returns, bank statements and details of all assets and income.
Bevin’s attorney, Jesse Mudd, declined to comment after the hearing.
Attorney Melina Hettiaratchi, who represents Jonah along with John H. Helmers Jr., said the judge could have imposed an even more severe penalty — contempt carries a sanction of up to 180 days in jail — given this is the second time Bevin has disregarded an order to appear in person and instead attended by Zoom.
“She could have done more,” Hettiaratchi said.
Helmers said he and Hettiaratchi, who have been representing Jonah for free, will also ask the court to order Bevin to pay some of the costs in the case which he said now amount to about $30,000.
Helmers said they took the case because they knew Jonah needed help.
“It would have been impossible for Jonah to do it on his own,” he said.
‘A political pinata’
The decision came following a last-minute effort by Bevin to have Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson removed from his case, citing her alleged bias.
In a motion filed late Monday, Bevin claimed Johnson’s rulings against him were motivated by her desire for media attention because of his former role as governor from 2015-2019. He also said the judge has made false claims about him in his ongoing divorce case with his ex-wife Glenna including that the two had tried to conceal their financial information.
“She is using me as a political pinata,” Bevin said in an affidavit, accusing the judge of “making up the rules as she goes along.”
“It is likewise clear to me that Judge Johnson’s decisions are being motivated by her personal desire for ‘earned media’ as a government employee who must seek re-election to remain a circuit court judge in the future.”
Johnson was elected in 2022 to an eight-year term and would face re-election in 2030, according to Ballotpedia, an online election site.
Bevin’s motion asked Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert to disqualify Johnson and replace her with another judge.
But Johnson declined to take up that motion Tuesday or say whether she would recuse herself, saying she had checked with the Supreme Court, which informed her the motion filed by Bevin’s lawyer was procedurally defective and would have to be refiled.
“There has been no proper motion filed for this court to decide,” she said.
Jonah, 19, is one of four children the Bevins adopted from Ethiopia in 2012. He alleged in court filings his parents abandoned him at age 17 in a brutally abusive youth facility in Jamaica closed by authorities in 2024.
He described Bevin’s motion to remove the judge as another stalling tactic in a case that has dragged on for more than a year, saying that instead of following the judge’s orders, “he’s trying to get rid of her.”
“I’m a teenager with no support, no resources and no ability to wait him out while he does everything he can to avoid sitting down with a judge,” he said. “I’m not a legal strategy. I’m his kid and the clock is running.”
In a statement, Jonah’s lawyers, Helmers and Hettiaratchi, said of Matt Bevin that “the judge has done nothing but give him a fair shot.”
“Now that it is crystal clear that he is going to have to play by the same rules as everyone else, he is taking shots at the judge.”
On his own
Bevin, a one-term Republican governor, campaigned in 2015 on a promise to make sweeping improvements to the state child foster and adoption system he said obstructed his and his former wife’s effort to adopt a child in Kentucky.
Jonah has alleged his father used him to “boost” his campaign.
In an affidavit filed with the court last week, Jonah said he is living on his own in Utah with few resources and no support from the Bevins.
On Friday, after finding Bevin in contempt of court, Johnson gave Bevin until noon March 24 to produce the detailed financial records or face sanctions ranging from a fine to jail time of up to 180 days in jail. Jonah has intervened in his parents’ divorce, seeking support and help with completing his education before a final settlement is approved.
Johnson warned Bevin at last week’s hearing he risked sanctions after failing to provide complete financial information as ordered.
“I have no choice but to hold you in contempt of court for violating the court’s order,” Johnson said at the conclusion of the 90-minute hearing. “You didn’t do what you were supposed to do when you were supposed to do it.”
‘Bad faith’
The judge in court rebuked Bevin last week when he testified by Zoom while driving a vehicle for interrupting her and making incorrect statements.
She repeated that in a written order released Monday affirming her ruling from the bench that Bevin was in contempt of court for disregarding repeated orders over the past 10 months to produce his financial information.
“He continuously spoke over the court when it attempted to correct him about his misrepresentations or address objections made by counsel,” the order said. “With both his pecuniary and liberty interests at stake, he continued to act in bad faith in the direct presence of the court.”
Johnson said she is considering ordering support for Jonah Bevin, saying she also believed from court testimony and other documentation “he likely lacks an adequate high school education.”
Both Glenna and Matt Bevin were directed by Johnson on March 10 to provide their financial information to the court and to Jonah’s lawyers within 48 hours.
Glenna Bevin subsequently provided her financial records but Matt Bevin provided only limited and partially redacted information, Johnson’s March 23 order said.
“The nature and value of Matt’s assets are relevant to the issue of child support; he SHALL tender information on these valuations to Jonah and file the same with the court,” the order said.
This story was updated to clarify that Bevin’s sentence is 60 days in jail unless he posts a $500 cash bond and turns over financial information sought by the court.
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Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
An arrest warrant issued immediately. Bevin, attending via Zoom (against orders) from an undisclosed location attending his ex-wife’s father’s funeral, interrupted the judge repeatedly, claiming compliance efforts. Johnson rejected his excuses, stating “every litigant must provide this information” and he’s had 10 months to comply.
Kentucky House Unlocks Election Overhaul: Skyrockets Donation Limits, Tightens Voter ID as Beshear Veto Looms
The Kentucky House voted 76-17 Tuesday to approve sweeping Senate changes to House Bill 139, merging multiple election reforms including raised contribution limits matching federal inflation adjustments and allowing judicial candidates to declare party affiliations despite nonpartisan races.
KY House backs Senate-overhauled elections bill, including bumping up donation limits
by McKenna Horsley, Kentucky Lantern
March 31, 2026
FRANKFORT — The Kentucky House has agreed with changes the Senate made to one of its election bills — including raising political donations limits for candidates in the state.
When it first left the House, House Bill 139 was an annual “clean up” bill for election policies. The Senate unveiled a new version last week, adding chunks of other election bills that had been moving in the General Assembly, such as eliminating Social Security and public benefits cards as proof of identification to vote and allowing judicial candidates to publicly disclose their political party affiliation.
The House agreed with the changes Tuesday by a 76-17 vote. Most Republicans, who have the majority in the chamber, voted in favor of the Senate changes, while most Democrats voted against them. However, a handful of lawmakers on both sides did not log a vote. Rep. Beverly Chester-Burton, of Shively, was the only Democrat to vote in favor of the bill.
The bill’s primary sponsor, Rep. Jennifer Decker, R-Waddy, explained some of the bill changes in response to a question.
The Senate version increased the limit that donors can give to political candidates, mostly in line with federal contributions limits, which are adjusted for inflation. It also would expressly permit judicial candidates to disclose their political party affiliation, despite being in a nonpartisan race, which is from House Bill 534, which narrowly passed the House earlier this session.
Another HB 534 addition would authorize the State Board of Elections to enter agreements with federal agencies to identify deceased people and non-U.S. citizens who are registered to vote in the state. Kentucky election officials are currently facing a lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice, which is seeking access to sensitive voter data.
The bill requires that someone flagged by the federal database as a noncitizen could not vote until presenting their county clerk with proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate, a U.S. passport or Certificate of Naturalization. The county clerk would have to alert the State Board of Elections to the proof.
Another bill in the mix is Senate Bill 154, from Sen. Lindsey Tichenor, R-Smithfield, which mainly said that Social Security and public benefits cards cannot be used as proof of a voter’s identity. It passed the Senate in February with a 31-7 vote.
Some House Democrats urged fellow House members to not agree with the bill on Tuesday. Democratic Caucus Whip Lindsey Burke, of Lexington, said the Senate had done “irreparable damage” to the original House bill.
“I personally believe that less money in politics would be good. I don’t think a pay-to-play system that benefits wealthy people and corporations is what’s good for Kentucky.”
HB 139 now goes to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear for further action. When asked about the bill last week, he said making “voting harder is un-American.”
However, if Beshear issues a veto, the GOP-controlled General Assembly can override it.
A spokesperson for Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams previously told the Kentucky Lantern that Adams “strongly supports the current version.”
Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.
Most Republicans backed it; Democrats decried “pay-to-play” politics. Rep. Jennifer Decker (R) defended the changes. The bill heads to Gov. Andy Beshear, who called stricter voting “un-American.” GOP legislature can override a veto.
Secretary of State Michael Adams strongly supports the package amid ongoing DOJ voter data lawsuit
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