LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The Republican Party of Kentucky criticized Gov. Andy Beshear Wednesday over his use of taxpayer funds amid a review recently released by the state auditor.
Allison Ball raised concerns about the executive branch's overall spending during a House Appropriations and Revenue Committee meeting on Feb. 10.
"It is clear that some executive branch agencies are spending tax dollars extravagantly and this needs to stop," Auditor Allison Ball said. "Public servants should be safeguarding money as if it was coming from their own pockets, rather than doling it out on extravagant travel and other unnecessary expenses."
Some of the expenditures Ball listed included $183,575.87 for state police to provide security to the governor or his staff. Part of that money paid for a limousine while in Germany.
Additionally, the Department of Education paid $360,000 for 75 people to attend a 2-day conference in either Frankfort or Lexington, and the Department of Community Based Services paid $539,145 to a vendor that agreed to pay a civil settlement for claims of improper billing to Medicare and Kentucky Medicaid, according to the auditor's office.
On Wednesday, the Republican Party of Kentucky released this statement:
"Governor Beshear has spent his second term touring Europe and traveling across the country to position himself as a contender for the Democratic presidential nomination. In the process, he has spent millions of taxpayer dollars on food, lodging, travel, and security costs that have nothing to do with his responsibilities as Governor.
When he traveled to the DNC to cheer on failed candidate Kamala Harris, when he went to New York for TV hits and podcast appearances, and when he toured Europe multiple times to rub shoulders with globalists and liberal power brokers, Kentuckians were left footing the bill for hotel stays and expensive dinners.
The Governor is more focused on building his national profile than serving the people of Kentucky. And with the announcement of his latest vanity project, Kentuckians can expect more of the same as he tours the country promoting himself at the expense of hardworking Kentucky families."
Beshear has made several television appearances recently, including on "The View" and "The Daily Show."
During a Team Kentucky update on Feb. 12, Beshear said he had not yet seen the report but questioned if it could even be considered as such.
"They never asked us any questions, and you have to do that if it's an audit report," he said. "All they did was take lines and they didn't ask questions because if they had gotten the answers, they couldn't have done the political attack that it was."
Beshear said an individual with the auditor's office falsely testified that the Office of Medical Cannabis spent $339,000 on advertising for medical cannabis.
"They didn't," he said, explaining the OMC spent $93,000 on training and educational videos for patients, providers, city governments and law enforcement officers.
The auditor's office also took issue with thousands of dollars spent by the Department of Community Based Services, saying the agency spent $6,000 in taxpayer dollars on a baseball game in Lexington. Beshear said that money was federal funding.
"It didn't cost the state at all," he said. "And what did it do? 430 foster kids got to see what's probably their first professional baseball game. During the game, the team runs advertisements educating people on how to be a foster parent."
DCBS was also accused of spending $15,000 at Natural Bridge State Park in eastern Kentucky.
"That is their annual meeting. It's done in one of our state parks, the money moves from DCBS to state parks, it stays entirely in state government," Beshear argued.
The report also accuses DCBS of spending $915,000 on legal services, despite having 50 attorneys, but Beshear said 97% of that money was for court-ordered payments.
"If you're in the auditor's office, just do the work. That's all we're asking; we don't have anything to hide," he said. "Are there expenses here and there we can do better on? Sure. But if you're attacking us for dollars that went to foster kids because judges said that it had to, those are questions you should probably ask."