Judge clears former Kentucky secretary of state Alison Lundergan Grimes of ethics charges

By BRUCE SCHREINER
Associated Press

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes has been cleared of ethics charges. The charges stemmed from allegations that the one-time Democratic rising star abused her access to voter registration data to benefit herself and fellow Democrats. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled Monday that Grimes legally accessed the data while “acting in the scope of her public duties” as secretary of state. Grimes faced a $10,000 fine after the Executive Branch Ethics Commission said she committed ethics code violations by improperly ordering the downloading and distribution of voter registration data. The judge’s reversal means Grimes won’t have to pay the fine.