FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has been cleared of ethics charges stemming from allegations that the one-time Democratic rising star abused her access to voter registration data to benefit herself and fellow Democrats. Franklin County Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Monday that Grimes legally accessed the data while “acting in the scope of her public duties” as secretary of state. “It is unclear how the commission can penalize the commonwealth’s chief election official for having access to voter data, or downloading it to a flash drive when it has failed to identify any illegal or unethical use of such data,” Shepherd said in his order. Grimes had faced a $10,000 fine after the state Executive Branch Ethics Commission said that she committed ethics violations by improperly ordering the downloading and distribution of voter registration data. The judge’s reversal of the commission’s order means Grimes won’t have to pay the fine. |
Milestone Chinese Summer Box Office Earnings Inject Confidence, Mirror Quality AdvancesNew Flexible Employment Logs Rapid Expansion in China: Report70th Anniversary of Founding of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Celebrated in GansuChina's EightCulture, Museum Craze Drives Consumption During China's EightLocal People Welcome Tourists in Taxkorgan, Xinjiang70th Anniversary of Founding of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Celebrated in GansuAward Ceremony Held to Honor Foreigners for Contribution to Cultural ExchangesVolleyball Ignites Latest Rural Sports Passion on China's Tropical IslandYunnan Spring Bud Girls Attend Study Tour in Beijing