Attorney General Andy Beshear says any investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct by former Gov. Julian Carroll – or the response by law enforcement – remain in the hands of Kentucky State Police, while some observers see a potential role for the top law enforcement official.
When allegations recently surfaced that former governor and current Democratic state senator Julian Carroll propositioned and groped a then 30-year-old photographer named Jason Geis in 2005, many had questions about timing. Not only the 12-year gap since the alleged events occurred, but also reported delays in the initial investigation.
Republican Party of Kentucky spokesman Tres Watson backed a broader inquiry to examine whether the matter received proper attention from police.
"I don't know what the right venue to do that is, whether it's the attorney general or the attorney general names a special prosecutor or how that proceeds, but I think it's clear that a more in-depth examination is needed here," he told WUKY.
Asked whether he's been approached about opening a fresh investigation, Beshear said he's not seen KSP documents pertaining to the investigation, beyond those referenced in Spectrum News' original reporting, but he hopes the issue is being handled internally.
"What we know is that the Kentucky State Police investigated and even took that to a prosecutor and apparently the Kentucky State Police has been reviewing that investigation for the past seven months before responding to an open records request, so if there needs to be further investigation I hope the Kentucky State Police has not only opened it but hopefully has already finished it," Beshear said. "That seven months is a lot of time."
Carroll has bucked calls to step down by his Senate caucus. Beshear labeled the charges “very serious,” but stopped taking sides on resignation – saying Senate Democrats are best situated to weigh in on Carroll’s political future.
