Mongiardo questions Conway’s financial disclosure forms
Daniel Mongiardo (left) and Jack Conway
FRANKFORT – Attorney General Jack Conway failed to report on a state Executive Branch Ethics Commission form an investment in a Texas energy company, his chief Democratic opponent in the U.S. Senate race, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo, said Tuesday.
Conway reported in August with the U.S. Senate clerk that he had invested between $1 million and $5 million in Kinder-Morgan Energy in 2008, Mongiardo’s campaign said.
But Mongiardo’s campaign said Conway did not list the stock purchase on his 2008 financial disclosure report in April with the state Executive Branch Ethics Commission. The state requires officials to list investments of at least $10,000.
“Jack Conway has serious questions to answer,” Mongiardo spokesman Kim Geveden said in a telephone news conference.
Conway’s campaign immediately released documents that showed Conway amended the state form in September and listed Kinder-Morgan as an investment valued at more than $10,000.
In a letter to the ethics commission, Conway said he “discovered an oversight” after reviewing the personal financial disclosure form required by the U.S. Senate Ethics Committee.
He said he invested in Kinder Morgan in February 2007, and its value was $22,653 at the end of 2007 and $20,546 at the end of 2008.
Conway’s campaign said the bulk of Conway’s investment in the Texas company came this year.
It also released copies of 2007 news stories that said Mongiardo, as a candidate for lieutenant governor, failed to disclose with two state agencies a financial interest he held in a $725,000 Frankfort apartment complex.
Mongiardo at the time said it was “just an oversight” on his part and that he was “a passive investor” in the apartments.
Besides raising the disclosure issue Tuesday concerning Conway, Geveden repeated earlier comments that Conway needs to explain why he has more than 90 percent of his wealth invested in a Texas energy company that advocates using natural gas to replace Kentucky coal.
Geveden noted a July article in the Houston Chronicle that quoted the head of Kinder-Morgan, Richard Kinder, as saying “natural gas and nuclear are the only answers” to address climate change.
Conway has reportedly received $4,800 for his campaign from Sara Morgan, the wife of Kinder-Morgan founder William V. Morgan.
Mongiardo has claimed that Conway supports federal cap-and-trade legislation that would cap greenhouse gas emissions and allow companies that release less to sell their credits to more polluting companies.
Conway has countered by saying he would never do anything to hurt Kentucky coal.
–Jack Brammer
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On Topic | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Once again, we have to have news on “he said, he said” instead of the real issues.
No wonder we elect money hungry, egotistical individuals; it’s whoever happens to “smell” the best based on irrelevant issues like this.
If we get away from LOBBYIST in the process we can actually get real governance done; otherwise this “free speech” issue is going to plague us forever.
angela walker | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Now we know why CONway supports cap and trade, the biggest fraud on coal producing states ever legislated. CONway should go and do something with Al Gore and hope his money won’t go the way of Kentuckians energy dollars (in some politicians back account).
jeffwillis | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Cap and Trade is bad for Kentucky and bad for America.
Jim | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Always follow the money !
Carl | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
People Mongiardo supports cap n trade “tax”, he supports tax payer funded abortions, along with raising taxes to pay for obamacare. Mongiardo has a real nerve to ask questions of anyone’s ethics. He should come clean about his sexual orientation. I do not support Conway in any way shape or form, he is just as bad as Mongiardo.
piked | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Conway appears to be making a huge leveraged investment bet on Natural Gas over KY coal. It looks like he leveraged his current stocks through a margin account to speculate on Natural Gas going up. Kinder-Morgan was founded by x-ENRON executives
angela walker | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
Carl, I agree both are bad for the state of KY, where did you get your info on Mongiardos’ stance on cap and trade? For the rest I don’t care if he sleeps with farm animals if they’re agreeable.
G#!$&*#$@$!@!!! | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
WHAT?!?!
Does Mongiardo suggest that a Democrat would not fully disclose personal finance matters?!?!?! (Nacncy Pelosi, Charlie Rangle)
Next he’ll have the audacity to suggest that some Democrats have cheated on income taxes!!! (Tim Geithner, Tom Daschel)
ABSURD!!!
Richard | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
http://newsbusters.org/
Brooks | Nov 18, 2009 | Reply
This is actually true. Mr. Conway told me that KY coal is not the answer and in fact natural gas is. During a speech in August he did support cap and trade…..
No one from KY will support this man – Conway is the Wrong way for Kentucky