Censure of Ky Secretary of State Michael Adams

WHEREAS, Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams, who leads the state’s board of elections, has been launching a public wave of gratuitous, ad hominem attacks against six Republican candidates who have filed legitimate requests for primary recounts of the paper ballots, stating, among other things, the candidates are a [quote] “motley crew of candidates,” they are not “real Republicans,” they “are all anti-government people,” they are “conspiracy theorists,” they are “trying to misuse a recount law that’s designed for close elections… just to create havoc… to undermine our democracy… to make it harder for government to function,” “this is just part of their mentality … they just want to create discord,” and they “want to watch the world burn”; AND

WHEREAS, Michael Adams, a high-ranking Republican officeholder, should be held to account for publicly disparaging anyone, especially fellow Republicans, who have taken it upon themselves, at great sacrifice of personal time and expense, to attempt to achieve openness and true voter integrity on behalf of all citizens in the Commonwealth; AND

WHEREAS, KRS 120.095 Recount of primary contains no requirement that a primary election be close in order for a candidate voted for in a primary to request a primary recount; AND

WHEREAS, KRS 120.095 mandates that once a candidate voted for in a primary has filed a timely petition for recount and executed a bond with approved surety for the costs of the recount, the recount shall proceed; AND

WHEREAS, Bridgette Ehly’s request for recount is in full compliance with KRS 120.095; AND WHEREAS, Michael Adams, a duly elected official overseeing elections and bound by Kentucky election law, has publicly stated, “I have no problem with people putting up the money and paying for the recount,” and “We’ll do the recount if they pony up the money,” and “Whether you should follow the law or not is not an ideological issue;” AND

WHEREAS, Michael Adams, a duly elected official overseeing elections and bound by Kentucky election law, hypocritically and deliberately continues to shirk his duty, flout the law, and abuse public trust by refusing to comply with the mandate set forth in KRS 120.095 because of his personal beliefs about the law and the petitioners; AND

WHEREAS, Michael Adams, a duly elected official overseeing elections, is hampering Kentucky candidates’ and citizens’ ability to determine if the election was conducted, and if the machines operated, with the highest integrity and accurateness; AND

WHEREAS, Michael Adams’ actions and words fly in the face of public transparency, and either reflects a lack of confidence in recent machine tallies or reflects there is something to hide, and is an abuse of office by a public servant contrary to the public interest;

BE IT RESOLVED, The Boone County Republican Party censures Secretary of State Michael Adams for his false, defamatory and gratuitous allegations and statements, for deliberately denying the legal rights of candidates, for deliberately shirking his duty, for deliberately casting doubt upon the integrity of future elections, for deliberately abusing the public’s trust in his office, and for deliberately refusing to follow the law as written because of his own personal beliefs about the law and the petitioners.

Adopted this 18th day of July, 2022 at a regular meeting of the Boone County KY Republican Party.