Supporter of Ky. Senate hopeful: Donations will buy 'access'

Sign up for email newsletters now!

Never miss a McClatchy story

By Jack Brammer | Lexington Herald-Leader

The host of an upcoming fundraiser for Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Daniel Mongiardo has told potential contributors that their donation will buy access to the Lt. Governor and Governor.

In an e-mail to potential donors, businessman Ray Hardebeck of Covington said individuals should give $1,000 if they want "access or have special needs that need to be discussed with the Governor and Lt. Governor."

Mongiardo's chief opponent in the 2010 Democratic Primary, Attorney General Jack Conway, said the solicitation is inappropriate.

"When official sponsors of fund-raising events expressly trade contributions for having special needs addressed by the Governor and Lt. Governor, it opens an entire range of questions about the nature of this fundraiser," said Conway spokesman Mark Riddle.

Read more at Kentucky.com

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

We welcome comments. To post one, you must sign in using either your McClatchyDC login or your login for Facebook, Twitter or Disqus. Just click the appropriate box below.

Please keep your comment civil, short and to the point. Obscene, profane, abusive and off topic comments will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be blocked. If you find a comment abusive or inappropriate, please flag it for the moderator by placing your cursor on the comment, then clicking the "flag" link that appears. Thanks for your participation.