The Courier-Journal has reported that Rev. Kevin Cosby, an African American on the University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees, was replaced by Governor Beshear in June, and was succeeded by Paul Diaz, a Cuban American. The move resulted in the first U of L trustee board without an African American since 1970, stirring controversy in the Louisville community.
But that’s not all the Courier-Journal uncovered. Cosby is the only member of the 17-member board who had not donated to the Attorney General campaign of Andy Beshear, Governor Beshear’s son:
“When Gov. Steve Beshear replaced the Rev. Kevin Cosby on the University of Louisville’s Board of Trustees last month, he did more than remove his only African-American appointment on the board.
He also removed his only appointee who has not been a strong and steady contributor to Beshear’s political causes.
An analysis by The Courier-Journal shows that all of the 17 Beshear appointees on the board, or their spouses, gave to the current campaign of Andy Beshear, the governor’s son, for attorney general. All gave to Steve Beshear’s 2011 campaign for governor. All have given — many in huge amounts — to the Kentucky Democratic Party since Beshear has been governor.”
According to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, Cosby’s replacement, Paul Diaz has contributed $500 to Andy Beshear’s campaign and $4,000 to Governor Beshear from 2007-2011.
Ethics concerns had already been raised about Andy Beshear’s clients and fundraising by Democrat watchdog groups. After one of Andy Beshear’s law firm clients received millions in tax breaks from the state, Richard Beliles of Common Cause Kentucky, a liberal watchdog group, said, “it does not look good for the governor’s son to be involved in deals like this with state tax money at stake.” Beliles also raised concern about the amount of money Andy Beshear’s campaign raises from special interests, saying, “It’s hard to see how Andrew Beshear can take ‘such an egregious amount of money from special interests and then turn around and serve as the people’s lawyer.’”
Now with his father playing politics with university officials, this doesn’t bode well for Andy Beshear, who has tried distancing himself from his father, declaring on the campaign trail that he is his “own man,” and that this race is “about Andy Beshear.”
Andy Beshear hasn’t done himself any favors. Instead of being transparent and releasing a list of clients he has represented before his father’s administration, he has kept his client list closely guarded.
This raises major concerns about who Andy Beshear will represent and be indebted to as Attorney General.