Author

Tom Loftus
Tom Loftus is a native of Cincinnati and a graduate of The Ohio State University. His long career in Kentucky journalism includes four years as Frankfort bureau chief for The Kentucky Post and 32 years as Frankfort bureau chief for The Courier Journal. He is a member of the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame and a freelance reporter for the Kentucky Lantern.
Beshear far outraises Cameron. But that’s only part of the money story.
By: Tom Loftus - September 13, 2023
FRANKFORT – Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign outraised Republican challenger Daniel Cameron by more than double the amount of money in the first phase of Kentucky’s general election. Beshear raised nearly $5.8 million since the primary election in May compared to about $2.35 million raised by Cameron, according to reports filed Tuesday with the Kentucky […]
Wall Street billionaire is putting millions into Kentucky’s race for governor
By: Tom Loftus - August 21, 2023
FRANKFORT – A Wall Street billionaire and crusader for charter schools is bankrolling media attacks on Democratic incumbent Andy Beshear in Kentucky’s race for governor. Jeff Yass, an options trader based in the Philadelphia suburbs, has provided the overwhelming majority of the money to two conservative super PACs that are behind a new multimillion dollar […]
Weddles found a way to fund Beshear even as campaign contributions were returned
By: Tom Loftus - August 1, 2023
FRANKFORT – As the Kentucky Democratic Party and Gov. Andy Beshear’s campaign were refunding the excess campaign contributions of London Mayor Randall Weddle last spring, Mayor Weddle and his wife found a different avenue for making additional donations to boost Beshear’s reelection chances. Weddle, a Republican, and his wife Victoria contributed $75,000 to the Democratic […]
Corporate dollars keep pouring into Republican Party of Kentucky building fund
By: Tom Loftus - July 24, 2023
FRANKFORT, KY – The $2.65 million donated by some of the nation’s largest corporations to renovate the Republican Party of Kentucky headquarters — the “Mitch McConnell Building” — was raised by the longtime chief fundraising consultant of Sen. Mitch McConnell himself. Recent reports filed by the Republican Party of Kentucky (RPK) Building Fund with the […]
Cameron’s office asks FBI to investigate $202K refunds from Beshear’s campaign, Kentucky Dems
By: Tom Loftus - June 22, 2023
Editor’s note: This story was updated Thursday afternoon with more information. FRANKFORT – The office of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has asked the FBI to investigate circumstances surrounding controversial political contributions made to the reelection campaign of Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party last December. On Tuesday, Beshear’s campaign manager announced that the […]
Beshear campaign, Kentucky Democratic Party return $202,000 linked to London mayor
By: Tom Loftus - June 20, 2023
Editor’s note: This story was updated Tuesday evening with additional responses. The Andy Beshear for Governor campaign and Kentucky Democratic Party have refunded $202,000 in what they determined to be excess political contributions – money originally reported by the campaign and party as donations from numerous members of the family of London Mayor Randall Weddle […]
London, Ky., receives nearly $1.4M state grant. Mayor’s family donors to Beshear, Democratic Party
By: Tom Loftus - May 19, 2023
FRANKFORT – London Mayor Randall Weddle, whose family and associates contributed more than $300,000 to the Kentucky Democratic Party and Gov. Andy Beshear’s re-election campaign, traveled to the State Capitol on Thursday to join Beshear in announcing a nearly $1.4 million grant to the City of London to pay for new sidewalks along Main Street […]
Craft has loaned her campaign $7 million, husband’s trust put $1.5 million into super PAC
By: Tom Loftus - April 19, 2023
Seven immediate takeaways from campaign finance reports filed by candidates for Kentucky governor: 1. Republican Kelly Craft is paying for her own campaign, and appears to be prepared to pay whatever it takes. So far she has loaned a stunning $7 million to her campaign. A trust of her husband Joe Craft has given $1.5 […]
Republican Party of Kentucky rakes in more corporate money for building fund
By: Tom Loftus - April 18, 2023
FRANKFORT, KY – The Republican Party of Kentucky’s push to raise large corporate donations to pay for the renovation and expansion of its headquarters took in another $722,000 during the first quarter of 2023. The largest donor was NWO Resources, of Greenwood Village, Colorado, which gave $500,000 on Feb. 6, according to a report filed […]
Some surprising new players in Kentucky politics are filling Beshear’s campaign war chest
By: Tom Loftus - April 17, 2023
FRANKFORT – The largest batch of contributions fueling the reelection ambition of Gov. Andy Beshear does not come from a personal injury law firm, a highway contractor or other traditional sources of money given to an incumbent Democratic governor of Kentucky. It comes from newcomers to the world of political giving and from a traditionally […]
Top contributors to Beshear and Kentucky Democratic Party
By: Tom Loftus - April 17, 2023
This article has been updated with information from the most recent campaign finance reports filed last week. FRANKFORT, Ky. – Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party held a big early fundraising lead over Republicans at the outset of this year when Beshear stands for reelection. Beshear’s campaign manager Eric Hyers said that, because […]
Dick Wilson was an old school reporter and mentor to young journalists
By: Tom Loftus - April 10, 2023
FRANKFORT — In simpler days before news was 24/7 online, good newspaper reporters were prone to an affliction that an old Ohio newsman first identified as “loading dock panic.” It struck in the dead of night, with the poor reporter sitting bolt upright and sweaty in bed, consumed with nagging doubt about a story finished […]