Conway
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway trails his primary opponent in the race for a U.S. Senate seat, according to a recent poll.
Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo received the support of 39 percent of those polled this week by Research 2000, which conducted the poll on behalf of the Lexington Herald-Leader, WKYT-TV in Lexington and WAVE-TV in Louisville. Conway received 32 percent.
The two Democrats are hoping to replace Sen. Jim Bunning. The primary election will be held May 18.
Mongiardo has led in most of the polls that have been conducted. He also recently filed an ethics complaint against Conway.
He claims Conway has "violated the public trust" by accepting more than $70,000 in campaign contributions from utility companies, their executives and lobbyists while approving rate hikes.
Mongiardo says Conway benefitted from a rate increase requested by Atmos Energy. Atmos is a business partner of Kinder Morgan, in which Conway has invested millions of dollars, Mongiardo says.
Mongiardo's complaint also says Conway approved a $22 million rate increase for Louisville Gas & Electric then accepted thousands of dollars in contributions from the company's executives and its registered lobbyists.
Conway campaign manager Jonathan Drobis called the ethics complaint a political stunt.
"Kentucky law requires that a formal complaint must be signed 'under penalty of perjury.' No such statement appears on Mongiardo's complaint," Drobis said.
"Under the law, Mongiardo must know he was making material misrepresentations and that's why he did not make the statement under penalty of perjury - out of fear for being prosecuted for his baseless accusations."
From Legal Newsline: Reach John O'Brien by e-mail at jobrienwv@gmail.com.