FRANKFORT — A Laurel County grand jury has indicted London Mayor Randall Weddle on four felony counts, accusing him of making $93,000 in excessive campaign contributions to the 2023 campaign of Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Democratic Party.
The indictment was returned Tuesday afternoon and announced in a brief statement by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, whose office is handling the case.
Each count is a Class D felony, carrying a potential penalty of up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
According to the indictment, Weddle violated state campaign finance laws in late 2022 by exceeding contribution limits. At the time, individuals could donate up to $2,000 per election to a candidate and $5,000 to a political party committee.
The three-page indictment alleges Weddle used his personal credit card to make nine contributions totaling $18,000 in other people’s names to Beshear’s campaign, along with 15 additional contributions totaling $75,000 in others’ names to the Kentucky Democratic Party.
The case stems from earlier reporting that highlighted large donations from Weddle’s family, employees, and associates during the 2023 election cycle.
Speaking briefly, Coleman said the indictment addresses an issue that has drawn public attention for years. He declined to provide further details or answer questions.
Weddle is scheduled to be arraigned April 15 in Laurel Circuit Court.
His attorney, Guthrie True of Frankfort, criticized the timing of the indictment, noting that the facts have been known for nearly three years. He suggested the move was intended to embarrass Weddle and interfere with his reelection campaign ahead of the May 19 primary.
Eric Hyers, who managed Beshear’s gubernatorial campaigns, said that once the campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party became aware of the excessive contributions, they reported the issue and refunded the money.
“We trust the justice system to determine whether these were intentional violations, but the campaign and the party took the proper steps by reporting and refunding the contributions,” Hyers said.
Earlier reports revealed that donations linked to Weddle’s network totaled at least $305,500. Many contributions were listed under individuals who had not previously made significant political donations.
Beshear initially said all contributions were voluntary. However, Weddle later acknowledged that much of the money attributed to others had been charged to his personal credit card. He claimed this was done unintentionally after being told it was permissible to process contributions on behalf of others.
Following that disclosure, attorneys for the campaign and the Kentucky Democratic Party notified the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance, and about $202,000 in contributions were refunded.
At the time, then-Attorney General Daniel Cameron referred the matter to the FBI due to a conflict of interest during his own gubernatorial campaign against Beshear. The FBI has not confirmed whether it investigated.
After the 2023 election, the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance opened its own investigation. While staff initially recommended civil penalties, the board voted unanimously in 2025 to continue the inquiry, keeping open the possibility of criminal charges.
Records later obtained through an open records request suggested Weddle coordinated contributions in late 2022. Text messages showed efforts to gather donations before a year-end deadline, with Weddle reportedly facilitating contributions through campaign portals.
In one exchange, Weddle wrote, “I have got you $219K this week,” to which a campaign fundraiser responded, “Yessir you have! …Thank you so much. I’ve let the man know.”
This article has been carefully fact-checked by our editorial team to ensure accuracy and eliminate any misleading information. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in our content.
Leave a Reply