FRANKFORT, Ky. — If you file an impeachment petition against someone in Kentucky, be prepared to pay a hefty cost if it is unsuccessful.  

“What we’ve done is we’ve followed the law to the best that we know how,” House Impeachment Committee chairman Jason Nemes said. “The law requires us to tax these costs. That’s what we’ve done.”

The House Impeachment Committee met for likely the final time Friday evening to determine how much it would charge the people who filed petitions against Gov. Andy Beshear, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, and Rep. Robert Goforth (R - East Bernstadt).

The petition filed against Beshear argued he violated the constitution with his COVID-19 orders; Cameron’s was related to his role with the Breonna Taylor grand jury; the petition against Goforth sought to remove him from office after he was arrested on domestic violence charges against his wife last year.

The committee decided not to pursue any of the petitions, although committee members ruled House lawmakers cannot impeach a fellow lawmaker when they dismissed the petition against Goforth.

So how much will the petitioners pay?

The group who filed the petition against Beshear will have to pay $42,444. For the Cameron impeachment, petitioners will pay $7,597. In the Goforth matter, petitioners will pay $12,457.

House Impeachment Committee Chairman Jason Nemes said Beshear’s petition involved more work and resources.  

“The allegations against Gov. Beshear, there were eight counts, so there was much more against Beshear than there were others," Nemes said. "And so counsel that worked for us, the time was billed more so towards Beshear as well.”

Cameron’s office wrote to the impeachment committee, asking members not to pursue reimbursement.

All of the charges can be appealed, but other than that, the impeachment committee’s work is done. Despite operating behind closed doors most of the time, Nemes said the committee acted the right way.  

“All evidence, all testimony, all decisions that were ultimately made were public,” Nemes said. “The deliberations, like the Kentucky Supreme Court, the deliberations were made in executive session. This is the most open it’s ever been and I think that’s appropriate.”

One last petition against Governor Beshear, which was announced Friday morning, was dismissed by the end of the day.

A couple of lawmakers introduced House Bill 378 last month to change the impeachment process, allowing only other House members to file petitions, but that bill hasn’t gone anywhere since it was proposed.