Ethics complaint resurfaces as Kentucky Republican Daniel Cameron runs for a U.S. Senate seat

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An ethics complaint stemming from Republican Daniel Cameron’s failed run for Kentucky governor has resurfaced as the former state attorney general campaigns to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell in next year’s hotly contested election.

The state’s Executive Branch Ethics Commission on Wednesday took another step in its investigation into whether Cameron committed an ethics violation by allegedly soliciting certain campaign donations for his 2023 run for governor.

An administrative law judge will be assigned to review the case and make a recommendation to commission members, who would decide whether a violation occurred.

Cameron denounced the commission’s action as a weaponization of government meant to damage him over a “bogus” ethics claim.

“This is the definition of political persecution,” Cameron said in a social media video.

Cameron announced his Senate campaign in February, soon after McConnell revealed that he won’t seek reelection next year, signaling the start of a new era in Bluegrass State politics. Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr launched his run for the Senate seat last month and the Republican field is expected to grow.

On the Democratic side, state Rep. Pamela Stevenson is running for Senate. Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear has ruled out a Senate bid as speculation continues to build over whether he may run for president in 2028. The last Democrat to win a Senate race in Kentucky was Wendell Ford in 1992.

The reemergence of the ethics complaint comes as the GOP Senate candidates compete for donors and endorsements well in advance of Kentucky’s primary election in the spring of 2026. Cameron and Barr have lavished praise on President Donald Trump in hopes of landing his prized endorsement.

The ethics commission said Wednesday that it started a preliminary investigation of Cameron in July 2023.

The complaint that spurred the investigation was made by the state AFL-CIO, which has strong Democratic ties. It came during the heat of the gubernatorial race, which Cameron lost to Beshear, who won a second term. The labor group said that Cameron may have improperly used his position for his own political gain by soliciting campaign donations from executives of a substance abuse treatment organization that was under scrutiny by the attorney general’s office.

In its Wednesday filing in the case, the ethics commission said Cameron used his position as attorney general in the spring of 2022 to “personally contact a business owner and influence him to hold a fundraiser and solicit campaign contributions for his financial benefit.”

“During the conversation, Cameron referred to his official position as attorney general, referenced his office’s duties and asked for a specific minimum contribution of $30,000,” the document said.

The commission did not identify the business owner on Wednesday but pointed to Cameron’s role as attorney general at the time in overseeing health care providers that received Medicaid funds.

Cameron reiterated Wednesday that he recused himself from the review of the substance abuse treatment group once he was made aware of the conflict and refunded campaign donations.

“I’m going to fight this just like I’ll continue fighting for the great people of this commonwealth every single day,” Cameron said Wednesday.

If the commission finds that Cameron violated state ethics law, he could face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for the one count cited.