Two former Ohio county officials are alleging illegal activity by Judge Executive David Johnston.
Former county magistrates Brandon Thomas and Michael McKenny have filed a complaint with Kentucky’s Attorney General saying Johnston violated county project procurement laws and misused emergency funds on private property.
"The basic premise of the complaint is it is a disregard of the democratic process," said Thomas. "If the judge-executive can pick and choose which laws, rules and regulations to follow, there's really no need in having any."
McKenny says one instance includes Johnston signing off on a property contract without approval from the fiscal court, violating the county procurement process.
‘The judge at that time knew that this facility was up for grabs and that we would be wanting to obtain it but he never brought it to the attention of the fiscal court in open session or closed session. So when I questioned where the money was coming from, he then said in open court that in that it was line listing in the budget, but it was not line listed in the budget.
"I want to bring that to light: the people of this county's tax dollars were being misappropriated prior to us even acquiring the ability to have the lease agreement. And then we acquired the lease agreement illegally because our judge executive took it upon himself to sign that without the consent of any of the court members as well," said McKenny. "It feels like the whole deal went down shady."
Thomas ran unsuccessfully against Johnston for county’s top post and then filed the complaint after his loss, but he says the accusations are not just sour grapes.
“Sure I wish I had won the election but does not mean that I wouldn’t have followed through with this? Absolutely not," said Thomas. "I still feel it was wrong. It was wrong then, it was wrong now, and it’s going to continue to be wrong until someone looks into this.”
A representative from Conway’s office says the complaint is under review.
Johnston and the county attorney did not return calls for comment Wednesday.
