Beshear donates $14,000 to atone for tainted contributions

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) – Kentucky’s Democratic attorney general says he has donated more than $14,000 from his 2015 campaign fund to make up for tainted contributions orchestrated by his former chief deputy.

Andy Beshear told reporters Monday his campaign has sent a check for $14,302.79 to Common Cause of Kentucky, a government watchdog group. The donation comes two years after Beshear’s former chief deputy, Tim Longmeyer, pleaded guilty to orchestrating a kickback scheme to funnel campaign donations to Beshear and others.

Beshear said he waited to donate the money until the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance could complete an audit of his account. The registry concluded $4,000 was tainted. A spokesman for Beshear said he donated everything that was left in the campaign account.

Beshear is running for governor in 2019.