LONDON, Ky. (LEX 18) — London Mayor Randall Weddle pleaded not guilty to four counts pertaining to excessive contributions he allegedly made to the campaign of Governor Andy Beshear.
Before the plea, attorneys for both parties argued the merits of a change of venue motion previously filed by Weddle’s lawyer, Guthrie True. True argued the law does not allow for the trial to take place in Laurel County.
"The General Assembly has been very specific in campaign finance cases, that the cases have to be brought either in the Franklin Circuit Court because campaign finance reports are filed there, or they have to be brought where a campaign contribution is made, solicited or received. None of that happened in Laurel County," True said.
True said it is possible the current indictment is not valid because the Laurel County grand jury should not have been involved in the process.
"We’ll see if that’s an issue for a later point in time," True said following Wednesday morning’s hearing.
The parties will reconvene on July 15 for a 1 p.m. hearing to further discuss the motion to change venues. True said Weddle’s alleged excessive donation to the governor’s campaign was not made in Laurel County, but from outside the country when he was traveling abroad. He said the Attorney General’s office acknowledged that in their response to his motion, but his focus will be on moving the case to the Franklin County Circuit Court if it reaches the trial phase.
"This has to do with a specific statute that the general assembly said that there are a limited number of places where cases like this can be brought," True said.
True stressed his request to change venues has nothing to do with an inability to get a fair trial due to Weddle’s notoriety in town.
