LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron’s office has asked the FBI to investigate a campaign donation of more than $200,000 to get Gov. Andy Beshear reelected.


What You Need To Know

  •  This week Daniel Cameron asked the FBI to investigate a $202,000 campaign donation to Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party 

  •  The contribution was linked back to London Mayor Randall Weddle

  •  Beshear says the donation has been refunded 

  • The KDP has now asking the FBI to look into Cameron's campaign

On Thursday, Cameron sent a letter to the agency asking them to look into what he believes to be a clear violation of campaign and finance law. 

The complaint centers around a string of donations linked to the credit card of London Mayor Randall Weddle. The Kentucky Lantern first reported $190,000 went to the state Democratic party and $12,000 was made out to the Beshear campaign.

The donations far exceed the giving limits for a candidate and political party. 

In a news conference Thursday, Beshear stated the campaign donation has been replied. 

“Every election I’ve been in, I have advised and required that my campaign follow the letter and spirit of every campaign finance law, and when any situation arises to address it with transparency to do what’s right and to work directly with the regulators,” Beshear said. 

Beshear added his campaign is in direct communications with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance.

“That is an open, transparent way of trying to do what’s right,” Beshear said. 

The governor was also asked by reporters if he believes London Mayor Randall Weddle should be prosecuted for his donations. The governor did not give a direct yes or no answer. 

Kentucky GOP communications director Sean Southard believes this situation will be a hot button issue in the months leading up to the election. 

“We’re talking about a huge sum of money here tracked back to one Individual that we know of,” Southard said. “I think Kentuckians are smart and they see this situation and it raises questions and I think that we are going to see this play out over the course of the campaign."

Cameron was asked about the letter he sent to the FBI at a campaign stop in western Kentucky Thursday. 

“It’s unfortunate, it’s a fiasco, as you noted, it is awful to see that sort of stuff happening within our government and within our politics,” Cameron told reporters. 

Last month, the governor awarded the city of London nearly $1.4 million in transportation funding. Four other areas also received funding. 

Because Cameron is running against Beshear in the race for Kentucky Governor, his office is unable to lead the investigation. 

Friday evenin,g the Kentucky Democratic Party fired back with its own call for an investigation. The KDP asked the FBI to look into campaign contributions for Daniel Cameron.

According to their letter, Cameron received money from executives at an addiction recovery facility that was under criminal investigation by the Attorney General’s office. The letter cites a report from The Daily Beast released earlier this week. That report also states Cameron’s campaign returned the campaign donation earlier this month.