Louisville Metro Council sets date to weigh Anthony Piagentini's removal
Councilman Anthony Piagentini's public hearing will begin on Feb. 26, the Louisville Metro Council Court announced Wednesday.
The hearing will continue day after day until it is complete, said Council President Markus Winkler, but there could be a break on Metro Council meeting days. The proceedings will be heard by the Council Court, which is comprised of all members of the Metro Council besides the person accused of an ethics violation.
Most days, the public hearing will begin at 5 p.m. to accommodate the councilors' schedules and other jobs, Winkler said. It will function similarly to a traditional court, where council members will listen to evidence and arguments.
Members of the Charging Committee have brought eight charges against Piagentini. Six are the same ones the Ethics Commission found Piagentini had violated. The other two reference criminal charges: misconduct by failing to disclose and perjury. Piagentini and his attorney, J. Brooken Smith, filed a motion to dismiss the criminal charges, arguing that it is not within the council's jurisdiction to consider them.
However, the Charging Committee's lawyer, Kent Wicker, said the Council Court has a right to hear the evidence related to these charges, even though they cannot impose criminal penalties, to best make a decision on Piagentini's ethics.
Ultimately, the Council Court voted to deny the motion to dismiss, keeping all eight charges in the trial.
How did we get here?
Piagentini has been accused of using his position to land a $40 million grant for the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council, which then hired him as a consultant at $240,000 a year. Piagentini and the Healthcare CEO Council have both denied there was any deal for him to get the job. Piagentini removed himself as a sponsor of the ordinance that allocated the money to the CEO Council and abstained from the vote to approve the money.
Kevin Fields, the president and CEO of Louisville Central Community Centers Inc., which also applied for the grant, filed a complaint alleging Piagentini violated a city ordinance by using his position for personal gain, resulting in the ethics trial.
More: What would happen if Anthony Piagentini is removed from Louisville Metro Council?
The Ethics Commission ultimately found Piagentini in violation of six ethics rules and recommended he be removed from office. Members of the Metro Council created a Charging Committee and the formal charges were read in front of the Metro Council. Now, the Council Court is set to weigh Piagentini's removal from office.
At least 18 members of the council would have to vote for Piagentini to be removed. If removed, Piagentini could appeal to Jefferson Circuit Court. He has already filed a lawsuit to appeal the Ethics Commission's findings.
Reach reporter Eleanor McCrary at EMcCrary@courier-journal.com or at @ellie_mccrary on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville Metro Council sets date for Anthony Piagentini ethics case
