FRANKFORT, Ky. — After meeting in executive session for about three hours Friday, a Kentucky House impeachment committee announced it was dismissing two of three petitions to impeach Governor Andy Beshear — one from the Kentucky Liberty PAC and one from Take Back Kentucky.

What You Need To Know

  • House impeachment committee dismisses two petitions against Gov. Andy Beshear

  • The committee has requested more information from Beshear on a third petition.

  • The committee is also looking into impeachment claims against Attorney General Daniel Cameron. It has requsted more information from Cameron's attorney.

  • There is no update on the impeachment of Rep. Robert Goforth.

"We decided that the second Beshear petition and the third Beshear petition were insufficient on their face, and more information, I won’t be providing, but they were not sufficient on their face," said Rep. Jason Nemes (R) of Louisville, the committee chair. "They didn’t meet the statutory requirements."

The petitions against Beshear object to actions he took in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As for the remaining petition, Nemes said the committee sent a letter to the governor’s counsel. 

The letter says a response the committee received on behalf of the governor after requesting additional information was “essentially a repetitive denial of the allegations of impeachment.”

The letter asks for communications on any executive order related to in-person church worship and interstate travel restrictions.

The committee is also discussing a petition to impeach Attorney General Daniel Cameron, related to his role in the investigation of the death of Breonna Taylor.

"We have a letter that we’re sending to the counsel for the attorney general asking for follow- up information as well," Nemes said. 

The letter requests records related to the instructions to the Grand Jury.

The impeachment committee — made up of seven members and two alternates — has spent most of its time behind closed doors. 

"This committee has been more public than any impeachment committee in the history of Kentucky," Nemes said. "We will continue to do that. The people of Kentucky are entitled to know the decisions that we make and the evidence that we make the decision upon, so we will continue to be transparent."

Nemes said the committee does not have an update on the petition to impeach Rep. Robert Goforth (R) of East Bernstadt, which was based on allegations Goforth assaulted his wife.

Goforth has pleaded not guilty and the case is still pending in Laurel County. 

The committee has not yet set a date for its next meeting.

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