Kentucky’s 10th District state Rep. Ben Waide is still battling a civil lawsuit brought by former colleagues who say he misappropriated company money to fund his political career.
Madisonville attorney John Whitfield represents Liberty Rehabilitation shareholders Lawrence Holmes and Jason Myers. He says a neutral third party is about to begin the process of searching the computers Waide used while at Liberty Rehabiliation. Waide now works at Baptist Health Madisonville.
Whitfield said his clients think the computers will back up their allegations that Waide misappropriated around $300,000 of company money.
“Mr. Waide took personal trips, for example, to St. Louis to the ball game there, the baseball game," Whitfield said. "To Tampa for the Republican National Convention. To other places on the company dime. If there are documents, emails, pictures that corroborate that, we’re entitled to it.”
The amount of money Waide is alleged to have misused has varied since the allegations came forward early this year. In January, Kentucky Public Radio's Jonathan Meador reported the amount was just over $50,000, including $20,000 Waide borrowed from Liberty Rehabilitation to benefit a different company he founded in 2012.
Waide, meanwhile, countersued and is currently running for Hopkins County Judge Executive, opting not to challenge fellow Republican incumbent Myron Dossett in the redrawn 9th District.
Whitfield said Waide’s deposition will be taken over two days beginning this Thursday. Waide’s attorney, Todd P’Pool, could not be reached for comment, but previously told WKMS the allegations were “political theater".
