Thread by @KYGOP

ICYMI: The GA passed a bill to ensure that @AlisonForKY & all future @KySecofState officials will never be able to abuse government resources/power again.

Follow along today as we address Alison’s abuse of power & why this legislation is so important. talkingpointsmemo.com/news/alison-lu…

Early last month, @ProPublica & @heraldleader reported @AlisonForKY was using her position as @KySecofState to access the voter reg. database to look up political opponents, including ethics officials that were investigating corruption in her office. propublica.org/article/alison…

HB114 has now made this type of abuse a misdemeanor. And it’s not just Rs who feel this abuse needs to be stopped. @AlisonForKY’s own county clerk, Don Blevins, Jr. of Fayette said it was “inappropriate” for the @KySecofState to have access and even called her abuse “no surprise”

HB114 also takes steps to stop partisan control over the State Board of Elections. New language will remove @AlisonForKY as the chair and install 2 fmr. county clerks to the board. This move is critical to ensuring that our elections process is operated on a non-partisan process.

This move is important because reports have shown that @AlisonForKY used this non-partisan office as an opportunity to take partisan control over elections by any means necessary, including bullying SBE staff. propublica.org/article/kentuc…

Reports show @AlisonForKY barred SBE staff meetings without @KySecofState staff present, demanded approval of Open Records Requests, and more. This abuse has caused SBE officials to complain that the office has been turned “upside down.”

At one point during investigations into @AlisonForKY’s corrupt conduct, her own lawyers requested to be present during interviews with SBE staff by the investigators. Some individuals saw this as just further intimidation and feared retaliation.

.@AlisonForKY’s intimidation tactics have even spilled out into public view. When a DEMOCRAT whistleblower, that Alison appointed, spoke out against her corruption during a meeting, she attempted to shut him down by threatening him with the police.

We also know that @AlisonForKY used her position as chair of the SBE to run a pay-to-play no-bid contract through to her campaign donor for $300,000. This despite the SBE not knowing this contract was submitted. propublica.org/article/the-cu…

.@AlisonForKY continues to defend the work of Cyberscout that 15 elections officials have said did little for the state. And she says she’s “unaware” if she met the Cyberscout founder, a donor to her campaign. The founder has said he had spoken to Alison for “years.”

We still don’t know the full extent of @AlisonForKY’s abuse of power and her bullying tactics against public employees, but we know Republicans and Democrats alike agree: this can’t continue and can’t be allowed to happen again.

.@AlisonForKY’s corrupt actions have brought the very integrity of our elections into question. This legislation is one step in the right direction to giving voters faith that those who oversee our elections won’t abuse their power and that their private information is safe.