Second Kentucky prosecutor is targeted with impeachment, related to Bevin pardon request
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For the second consecutive day in the Kentucky House, a resolution was filed to begin impeachment proceedings against a state prosecutor who was recently sanctioned by the Kentucky Commonwealth's Attorneys' Association.
The resolution filed Wednesday calls for an impeachment inquiry of Rick Boling, the commonwealth's attorney for the 3rd Judicial Circuit in Christian County.
On Tuesday, the first day of the 2023 session of the Kentucky General Assembly, another resolution was filed to form a committee to consider impeaching Ronnie Goldy Jr., the commonwealth's attorney for the 21st Judicial Circuit, comprised of Bath, Menifee, Montgomery and Rowan counties.
Both impeachment resolutions were filed by Rep. Jason Nemes, R-Louisville, recounting the many recent allegations against them and directing the appointment of a committee to determine whether there is sufficient cause to institute impeachment proceedings.
Under Kentucky law, if impeachment is recommended by such a House committee, it can draft articles of impeachment to be taken up by the full House. If impeached by the House, the official would then be tried in the Senate, where a conviction requires the vote of at least two-thirds of the senators present.
Republican House Speaker David Osborne formed an impeachment committee Wednesday, which will take up the resolutions targeting both prosecutors.
Boling's troubles started in early 2020, when The Courier Journal first reported that he cited false information when seeking a pardon from former Gov. Matt Bevin for Dayton Jones. Boling later apologized to voters and the victim, who was 15 years old and unconscious when he was sodomized with a sex toy and almost died of his injuries.
Bevin commuted the sentence of Jones, who was later recharged and convicted on federal charges related to the same incident.
In December, a trial commissioner recommended that the Kentucky Supreme Court suspend Boling from practicing law for five years, citing both the pardon recommendation and another arson and manslaughter case where he misled a jury, for which the Kentucky Supreme Court reversed a conviction.
Boling did not immediately respond to an email seeking his response to the resolution.
More:Lawmaker moves to impeach Kentucky prosecutor Ronnie Goldy over nude photos scandal
Goldy has also been embroiled in controversy, starting in July when The Courier Journal first reported that he exchanged hundreds of Facebook messages with a defendant, allegedly promising to do favors in court in exchange for nude images of her.
The Kentucky Supreme Court in September suspended Goldy from practicing law, finding he is a danger to the public and clients. However, the high court added it could not remove Goldy from office because that can only be done through impeachment, which is the province of the General Assembly.
Both prosecutors were expelled by the Kentucky Commonwealth's Attorneys' Association regarding their recent allegations, preventing the two from attending future association events and conferences.
Goldy has not responded to a message left with his office about the impeachment resolution.
The resolutions filed by Nemes recount the allegations and sanctions against the prosecutors and call for the committee to "investigate and review the record as to whether impeachment proceedings shall be instituted" against them and warrant articles of impeachment to be submitted to the full House.
Nemes said Wednesday the committee may hold meetings over the January break, as the legislature is expected to adjourn Friday and not return until the second week of February.
The new House impeachment committee consists of five Republicans and two Democrats.
The Republicans members of the committee are Nemes, Majority Caucus Chair Suzanne Miles, Rep. Kim King, Rep. Daniel Elliott and Rep. Jennifer Decker. The Democratic members are Rep. Nima Kulkarni and freshman Rep. Lindsey Burke.
Under the Kentucky Constitution, any "civil officers" can be impeached "for any misdemeanors in office."
The last time a Kentucky official was impeached was 1991, though this will now be the third legislative session in the past four years to take up a proposed impeachment.
In 2020, a resolution was filed to begin impeachment proceedings against Kenton Family Court Judge Dawn Gentry, who faced charges from a judicial misconduct commission alleging she used sex, campaign contributions and retaliation as tools in her position.
While a House impeachment committee was formed to take up the matter, it did not end up meeting after the COVID-19 pandemic upturned and shortened the legislative session. That August, the Kentucky Judicial Conduct Commission voted unanimously to remove Gentry from the bench, finding her guilty on 10 of the 12 charges.
During the 2021 legislative session, citizen petitions were filed to impeach Gov. Andy Beshear, Attorney General Daniel Cameron and state Rep. Robert Goforth, with an impeachment committee formed by House Speaker David Osborne to take up each. All three petitions were dismissed without a recommendation for the full House to proceed with impeachment charges.
Only eight Kentucky officials have been impeached by the House in state history, with just three convicted by the Senate.
Reach reporter Joe Sonka at jsonka@courierjournal.com and follow him on Twitter at @joesonka.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky prosecutor Rick Boling targeted with impeachment
