KDP Statement on Sen. Julie Raque Adams Enriching Herself Through Lobbyist Donations

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Today, Kentucky Democratic Party (KDP) Chair Colmon Elridge released the following statement on a report exposing a potential “pay-to-play” scheme by Republican State Senator Julie Raque Adams:

“This morning, the Kentucky Lantern reported Sen. Raque Adams set up a nonprofit she claims was training women to run for office, but instead funneled $80,000 in lobbyist and corporate donations directly to her pocketbook. As Chair of the Licensing and Occupations Committee, she took, and continues to take, money from the very industries she is tasked with regulating. A brief look into her legislative voting history reveals that this behavior isn’t a coincidence: it’s a pattern of advocating for and rewarding those donors that have personally enriched her.

“This looks like textbook pay-to-play. The ethics commission and attorney general should investigate immediately, especially as her decisions on energy, health care, and the horse industry have an immediate and critical impact on Kentuckians' finances.”