Former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has been cleared of ethics charges related to allegations that she misused voter registration data for personal and political gain. Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled that Grimes had legally accessed the data while performing her duties as secretary of state. This ruling overturned the state Executive Branch Ethics Commission’s decision to fine Grimes $10,000 for ethics violations. Grimes, a former Democratic rising star who unsuccessfully challenged Senator Mitch McConnell in 2014, was reelected as secretary of state in 2015.
The allegations against Grimes dated back to 2015 and 2016, accusing her of improperly accessing and sharing voter information without following proper government procedures. Shepherd determined that these allegations lacked substantial evidence and were arbitrary, noting that there was no law prohibiting Grimes from accessing or sharing the information. The judge also highlighted the exhaustive investigations conducted by the ethics commission and the state attorney general’s office, which did not find any substantive violations regarding the integrity of the voting rolls. Grimes’ attorney, Jon Salomon, welcomed the ruling as a vindication of her actions while in office.
Following the judge’s ruling, the ethics commission stated that it is reviewing the matter. Grimes, who was once considered a rising political star, faced scrutiny for her handling of voter information while running for reelection as secretary of state. The commission’s charges against her were based on allegations of unethical behavior related to downloading and distributing voter registration data, which Shepherd deemed unfounded. Republican Michael Adams succeeded Grimes as secretary of state and made changes to state law in response to the allegations against his predecessor, limiting direct access to voter files.
The ethics commission’s charges against Grimes were brought following a series of reports by the Lexington Herald-Leader and ProPublica in 2019, which raised questions about her conduct. The allegations were related to her actions during her second term as secretary of state, including instructing her employees to download voter information onto flash drives and sharing voter registration information without adhering to open records rules or collecting fees. The judge ruled that the commission failed to meet the statute of limitations when bringing these claims against Grimes, further weakening the case against her. Grimes’ successful defense in this case has cleared her of all charges.
Overall, the legal battle surrounding Alison Lundergan Grimes’ handling of voter registration data has come to a conclusion with Judge Shepherd’s ruling in her favor. The judge determined that Grimes acted within the scope of her public duties as secretary of state and found the ethics commission’s charges to be unfounded. Grimes, who faced potential fines for ethics violations, has been vindicated by this ruling, which also highlighted the changes made to state law in response to the allegations against her. Moving forward, Grimes can now focus on her political career without the cloud of ethics charges hanging over her.
