Ethics, Directors and Lobbyists

A few of points to look at and then a question:

First from the Family Foundation of Kentucky:

We have people walking the halls of the state capitol to make sure the family is being taken into account in the writing of state laws, and to make sure you know about important laws that could affect you and your family.

According to the Legislative Ethics Commission the Family Foundation has six registered lobbyists they are Kent Ostrander, Martin Cothran, David Edmunds, Sarah R. Foster, Richard R. Nelson and Don Pinson.

The Republican wedge issue four years ago was the Gay Marriage Amendment. The Family Foundation spent $19,664.14 to get the amendment passed. The activities of the Family Foundation sound pretty political and partisan.

Second from the Kentucky Revised Statues:

18A.140 Prohibition against discrimination and political activities.

No employee in the classified service or member of the board or its executive director shall be a member of any national, state, or local committee of a political party, or an officer or member of a committee of a partisan political club, or a candidate for nomination or election to any paid public office, or shall take part in the management or affairs of any political party or in any political campaign, except to exercise his right as a citizen privately to express his opinion and to cast his vote.....

This is pretty clear. If you are a merit system employee, then stay out of partisan political activity.

Third from the May 8, 2007 Family Trust Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., Annual Report, filed with the Secretary of State:

Ed and Glenda McCracken of 3113 Cherry Meadow Path, Lexington, Kentucky 40509 are listed a members of the Board of Directors.

Fourth from the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance:

There is a contribution made by Glenda McCracken of 3113 Cherry Meadow Path, Lexington to Ernie Fletcher for $500.00 on March 19, 2007. The report lists her spouse as William McCracken; an Engineer Employed by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.

Fifth from the Organizational Chart of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet: Ed McCracken is listed as working in the Project Management Branch of the Division of Environmental Analysis. Also, engineers are classified (merit) system employees according to the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet.

So here is the question:

How is it legal, let alone ethical, for a merit system employee to be on the Board of Directors of Corporation that has 6 registered lobbyists to influence the Kentucky General Assembly and spends money on partisan political issues?