Republican state Senator Damon Thayer is applauding a state Legislative Ethics Commission decision dropping an ethics complaint against him.
A former Scott County Democratic Party chairman had alleged that Thayer used his position to gain special access to the hospitality tent at the Kentucky Rolex Three-Day Event – a charge the GOP leader labeled “frivolous” and “politically-motivated.”
Thayer’s relationship with the Kentucky Horse Park came under scrutiny during the 2016 General Assembly after he waged a legislative campaign to reform the park’s governing board.
"I believe that there is evidence that in a lot of boards and commissions reform is needed. This just happens to be the one that I care the most about because it's closest to my home and my district," Thayer told a legislative panel.
Former Horse Park chairwoman Alston Kerr told the Lexington Herald-Leader in March that Thayer had applied for and did not receive a position with the Three-Day Event, leading to questions about the lawmaker's motivation for challenging the board.
The Georgetown senator said evidence of political patronage, wasteful spending, and low morale were the reasons behind his push for board changes – which Gov. Matt Bevin ultimately made by executive order.
