By Tony McVeigh, Kentucky Public RadioDemocratic U-S Senate candidate Dan Mongiardo is accusing his Kentucky primary opponent, Jack Conway, of an ethical breach concerning campaign contributions. Mongiardo says Conway has accepted $70,000 from executives with utilities Conway regulates as attorney general. “Attorney General Jack Conway has sworn an oath to represent the ratepayers of Kentucky and I think he fails at this. It’s a clear conflict of interest. It’s obviously unethical and if it’s not illegal it ought to be," Mongiardo said. Allison Hayley of the Conway campaign responds: “These accusations are baseless and false. Even the Courier-Journal’s Al Cross called them trumped up. This is just another act of desperation by a campaign whose support is just slipping away,” she said.Lt. Gov. Mongiardo and Attorney General Conway meet in the May 18th primary. Three other candidates are also vying for the Democratic nomination. Six candidates are on the ballot for the Republican nomination, but one - Bill Johnson - is no longer actively campaigning.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.