FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

ADAMS RELEASES STATEMENT ON EXECUTIVE BRANCH ETHICS COMMISSION CASE

Kentucky Constitutional Officers File Brief in Supreme Court

Frankfort, Ky. (June 13, 2025) – Secretary of State Michael Adams released the following statement on the joint brief filed by Kentucky’s Constitutional Officers in the Kentucky Supreme Court case, Beshear v. Coleman:

“While Governor Beshear claims he is ‘not involved in actions of the ethics commission, as it is fully independent under state law,’ he is telling the Supreme Court in his lawsuit against us that he must personally control the ethics commission.

Both cannot be true.

The Governor’s unconstitutional power grabs and contempt for the rule of law have fared poorly in court time and time again, and they should now too.”

The brief filed jointly by Secretary of State Michael Adams, Auditor Allison Ball, Attorney General Russell Coleman, Treasurer Mark Metcalf, and Agriculture Commissioner Jonathon Shell, continues their effort to defend the constitutional officers’ role in appointing members to the Executive Branch Ethics Commission (EBEC).

The General Assembly passed HB 334 in 2022, which provided each constitutional officer an appointee on EBEC, strengthening oversight of the board.

Read the full brief here.

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