FRANKFORT, Ky. — Is it a a “juvenile” defense or “last-ditch effort to upend” separation of powers?
By Wednesday evening, Kentuckians ought to know what argument a Kentucky House Committee bought and whether they will move forward on a petition to impeach Gov. Andy Beshear.
The Kentucky House of Representatives Impeachment Committee is scheduled to meet at 3 p.m. to consider filed arguments by Beshear and a group of citizens who filed the petition.
Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Nemes has vowed to hold a fair process and urged both sides not to release their pre-filed arguments until after the Wednesday meeting. But, on the eve of the meeting, WHAS11 has obtained both parties' filings.
"The Petition cites no facts and little law in a last-ditch effort to upend our constitutional separation of powers," Beshear's lawyers argued in their filing.
Their response is critical of the petitioners, their protest backgrounds and political ties. It explains that the governor has done his best in an unprecedented time and that he knows the electorate will have a say in whether it approves of his pandemic response actions.
The petitioners cannot state a case for impeachment," the response says. "The Committee must dismiss."
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While one wants more time, three of the four impeachment supporters responded Tuesday. Their filing accuses the governor of juvenile attacks that have led to threats on them. They claim Beshear has overstepped his constitutional authority and that a Kentucky Supreme Court Justice's use of “#TeamKentucky" shows an inability to be impartial.
If the committee buys the governor's side, this ends tomorrow.
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The committee could also ask for testimony from both sides before deciding where to go, but there will be other big happenings at that hearing: the committee will outline a timeline for arguments in the effort to impeach State Representative Robert Goforth.
The committee received a petition claiming criminal charges for a domestic incident leave the Republican unfit for office.
One thing they will not discuss Wednesday are plans for the petition to impeach Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
Procedure requires another House committee send that petition to the Impeachment Committee. Because legislators have not been in session since the petition was filed, that won't happen until next Tuesday at the earliest.
An attorney for the petitioners, though, has filed to remove Nemes from the Impeachment Committee, citing a relationship between he and Cameron. Rep. Nemes has not responded to the effort to remove him from the case.
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