Gov. Matt Bevin’s administration is refusing to provide details of its vetting of Daniel Bork, who the governor recently appointed as commissioner of Kentucky’s Department of Revenue.
Bork left his job as vice president of tax at Lexmark International in September, within a year of the company reporting that it had found a host of problems in its income tax accounting. In that job, according to the Bevin administration, Bork was “responsible for worldwide tax matters, including compliance, planning and strategy to ensure favorable tax rates and improved cash flow.”
As revenue commissioner, Bork oversees the state department that collects taxes and revenue, administers tax laws and provides services to other state agencies and residents.
WFPL’s Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting also revealed on Wednesday that Lexington-based Lexmark spent $3.2 million on consultants and software to try to fix the problems over the course of 2015.
The governor’s office has only said it will not comment on Bork’s interview process and ultimate selection as the state’s next tax chief.
Meanwhile, state government’s top elected Democrat is declining to comment until more information is known.
“Taxes are a complicated issue,” said Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo.
Rep. Brent Yonts, a Greenville Democrat, declined to comment on Wednesday.
Democratic Majority Floor Whip Rocky Adkins and Republican Senate President Robert Stivers did not respond to requests for comment.
Mac Brown, who led Bevin’s transition team and recently became chairman of the Republican Party of Kentucky, did not return a request for comment.
Bork starts his job atop the Department of Revenue on Thursday.
