Beshear aide can sell to lobbyist
By John Cheves – jcheves@herald-leader.com
Adam Edelen
Gov. Steve Beshear’s chief of staff can sell his share in a downtown Lexington condo to a top Frankfort lobbyist, who owns the remaining share, the Executive Branch Ethics Commission advised Friday.
Adam Edelen, the Beshear aide, is trying to dissolve his business partnerships with Bob Babbage, the lobbyist, following recent stories about their dealings in the Herald-Leader. On Jan. 9, Edelen asked the ethics commission for advice.
Edelen and his wife own a $257,100 condo unit with Babbage and his wife at the Main & Rose building on Lexington’s Main Street. Edelen’s wife, who sells Apple computers to the Kentucky Department of Education, uses the unit as an office, as does Babbage.
Edelen has said that he cannot afford to buy out Babbage’s interest in the condo. Selling the condo and dividing the proceeds is an unattractive option, because in the current weak economy, the building already has many units for sale. So Edelen is free to accept payment from Babbage for his half of the condo as long as it’s based on a fair market value, does not carry a promise of favoritism, and the terms of the sale are reported publicly, the ethics commission said.
Earlier this month, Edelen and Babbage dissolved a land-development company they owned with Ralph Coldiron, who at the time was a Beshear political appointee in the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. Coldiron resigned from that job following questions about the legality of a controversial pay raise he received.
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JackLand | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
…in other news, the Executive Branch claims to have an “Ethics Commission”…
george | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
I can not believe his wife is selling computers to the state– How corrupt.!!
W O W…
s.smith | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Well, at least he does not need a $600M bailout like Lexington-Fayette Government. Business is business. There are only fourteen principles of ethical conduct, let the one politician without sin cast the first stone.
Carl | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Not an ethics problem? Hey, pssst, I have a bridge I can sell someone.
Lee Thompson | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
It is not surprising. They are all democrats and I have not met a democrat yet that has do anything wrong. Edelen should be sent back to the restaurant and his wife should not be selling APPLE computers to the education department. The appearance along is ALL wrong. When will all this corruption stop. Does this ethics committee not understand the word ETHICS
Rick | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Talk about something having a smell to it…His wife gets to sell all of the computers to the dept. of education..she shares an office with a lobbyist and her husband is one of Beshears right hand men..I don’t see anyway anything illegal could be going on..(sarcasm intended.
I had hope for Beshear but he just seems to be constantly digging a hole full of corruption.
It may be legal for his wife to be selling those computers to the education dept., but an investigation needs to be launched to see if she had to bid on that contract and won it because of a low bid (like everyone else is suppose to do) or if she was just given the contract because of who she knows..
If it’s not illegal, it sure looks like it should be…
Just another crooked administration in Frankfort.
JT D'Eastwood | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Regarding this quote from Cheve’s story:
“Selling the condo and dividing the proceeds is an unattractive option, because in the current weak economy, the building already has many units for sale. So Edelen is free to accept payment from Babbage for his half of the condo as long as it’s based on a fair market value, …”
The fair market value is low because of the weak economy. Babbage SHOULD NOT pay Edelin any more than FMV from one willing independent seller to an unrelated buyer.
Keep an eye on that sale.
Tom Stone | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
AMEN JT!!!!
Ethics? They need a dictionary | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Here’s a thought. Get rid of the so called Ethic’s Committee and use their salary to put back into our sinking state budget.
It’s obvious they don’t know what “ethics” means or alot of people would be facing criminal charges right now.
IntegraTee | Jan 23, 2009 | Reply
Of course you realize that the chair of the Ethics Commission was a G.C. at Finance under Fletcher, and the Vice-Chair, also appointed by Fletcher, was the Special Justice on the KY Supreme Court that ruled on the merit scandal. So, maybe, read the opinion first.
real time | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
This duck is now dead and all should just leave it alone. Enough is enough! Adam Edlen is a stand up person who is very involved in state and local politics as well as many, many charitable causes. Just because he has outside business dealings should not be an immediate cause for alarm so long as they are properly disclosed to the proper channels. This has been done. Can anyone say “ENOUGH ALREADY?”
bigd | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
The Ethics Commission,Personnel Board, in Frankfort are a joke, they are wallflowers. Kentuckians are not stupid. Stop urinating down our backs and telling us its raining.This Governor is blatant corruption and needs to be addressed.
Rick | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
Hey Real Time..The duck is dead in that Edelen has lost all simblace of credibility.
You say it was properly disclose, no it wasn’t..The Herald-Leaders investigation make them disclose that Babbage, Coldiron and Edelin had a business together or else they would have never disclosed it..
This duck will be dead when Edelen does what is best for the Gov.’s administration and resign..
He’s a joke..and he’s bringing the Beshear administration down with him..
Tom Stone | Jan 24, 2009 | Reply
Man it’s goooood to be a Democrat in Kentucky. Double amen TJ.