#ralph coldiron

[youwantbloodyouvegotit]

Important Things The Herald-Leader Missed in their Coverage of the Edelen Ethics Scandal

Summary of What Was Already Reported on the Edelen Ethics Scandal Link

Important Things The HL Missed in their Coverage of the Edelen Ethics Scandal:

Bob Babbage was lobbying for Thomas & King when Edelen hired Ralph Coldiron: Link

Possible evidence that Bob Babbage tried to conceal his business ties to Edelen (multiple annual reports filed by Bob Babbage in September 2008 show he was going to change the address to the condo he shared with Edelen's wife, but changed his mind): Link

All of Coldiron’s business assets Were at risk if he defaulted on a loan that gave a security interest in his business assets to the lender: Link

Ralph Coldiron asked for and received an exemption all Purchase Orders (Master Agreements) issued as instruments of obligation for grant funds awarded by the CMRS Board: Link

Federal flow-down requirements regarding CMRS grants create additional conflict of interest restrictions and require grant recipients to grant access to records to the Kentucky Auditor of Public Accounts: Link

Edelen and Coldiron also had another business at the time, Bluesand Investments, LLC (Kim Geveden & Jesse McKnight were also members): Link

The Herald-Leader noted that Edelen made the hiring decisions (Link), which included Chuck Geveden, but they did not mention that Chuck was the brother of Edelen’s business partner in Bluesand Investments, LLC. Link

The Herald-Leader noted that Joe Barrows was hired to replace Coldiron and some of Barrows own problem with ethics, but they didn't mention that Barrows thinks the investigators were the real bad guys in BOPTROT: Link

Edelen Should Release His Tax Returns: Link

Audit The Auditor Facebook Page: Link

[youwantbloodyouvegotit]

Edelen Made the Hiring Decisions

As Beshear’s Chief of Staff, Edelen Handled Beshear Administration Employment Requests:

          Edelen told police investigating Amanda Ross’ murder by Steve Nunn that employment requests for the Beshear Administration would come through him:

(Lexington Herald-Leader’s open records regarding the Steve Nunn murder investigation, page 28: Link)

[Note: like Edelen, Steve Nunn had done consulting work for Ross, Sinclaire & Associates: “Steve Nunn and Amanda Ross met when Ross's father, Terrell Ross, hired Nunn to do consulting work for his financing firm, Ross Sinclaire. Terrell Ross died in October 2006.”  (Lu-Ann Farrar, “Chronology of the Steve Nunn case,” Herald-Leader, June 29, 2011.)]

           Edelen is the person who made the decision to hire Coldiron.  Before becoming Beshear’s chief of staff, Edelen also made the hiring decisions for Beshear’s Office of Homeland Security:

However, Preston said he took the job in June, so most of the appointees were chosen earlier by Edelen, who was Beshear’s original homeland security director before becoming chief of staff this summer.

Edelen on Tuesday defended his hiring - and the other appointees’ - on the grounds that they are skilled managers and communicators, and those were the talents the office needed.  (John Cheves, “Beshear loyalists find a haven - Some question qualifications of Democratic governor’s homeland security hires,” Herald-Leader, November 19, 2008.)

[Note: Edelen tried to justify his political appointment to head the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security (KOHS) and the subsequent hiring decisions he made—both at Homeland Security and later as Beshear’s chief of staff—by reversing his own previous statements where he had complemented the performance of the KOHS under his predecessor.]

[youwantbloodyouvegotit]

Babbage Lobbying in Late 2008 to Early 2009

          Bob Babbage was lobbying for several companies at the time, in both the executive and legislative branches.  This included Motorola, Inc.  Also, Babbage lobbied on behalf of Thomas & King in the legislative branch.

Kentucky Executive Branch Ethics Commission (April 9, 2009):

KEBEC April 9, 2009 (See pp. 1-2): Link

Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission (January 23, 2009):

KLEC January 23, 2009 (See pp. 2-3): Link

Motorola:

        Motorola, Inc. was especially noteworthy because, as executive director of emergency telecommunications services, Coldiron was put in a position with a lot of influence on contracts worth millions of dollars that Motorola was interested in. 

Kentucky State Government Spending on Motorola:

(OpenDoor Spending Search: Link)

       During his brief tenure on the CMRS Board, Ralph Coldiron requested and received an exemption for all Purchase Orders (Master Agreements) issued as instruments of obligation for grant funds awarded by the CMRS Board.

Thomas & King:

      Thomas & King is noteworthy because Edelen worked there until he resigned to join the Beshear administration.  Ralph Coldiron worked there until October 2008, when he resigned because layoffs were imminent.  Getting a job for Coldiron with the Beshear administration helped his business partners, Edelen and Babbage, but it also helped one of Babbage’s clients. 

[Note: All of Ralph Coldiron’s business assets were at risk if he defaulted on a loan that gave his lender a security interest in his business assets.  Link.]

[kwjsubblog]

Jesse Clay McKnight

            Jesse Clay McKnight was partners with Adam Edelen, Ralph Coldiron, and Kim Geveden in Bluesand Investments, LLC.

          McKnight had previously worked as a legislative lobbyist in Kentucky:

KLEC Search: Link

          McKnight became a “consultant,” a nebulous title in politics for “the crossroads of political consulting, lobbying, grassroots organizing and land use politics,” as his entry on the New Leaders Council website describes it:

New Leaders Council: Link

[Note: Edelen is also a New Leaders Council Ambassador: Link]

           According to McKnight’s LinkedIn entry, one of the places he worked at the time was The Saint Consulting Group.  He focuses on land use and development.

[kwjsubblog]

The HL Overlooked Coldiron’s Activity

           The Herald-Leader did not mention that Ralph Coldiron requested and received an exemption for “all Purchase Orders (Master Agreements) issued as instruments of obligation for grant funds awarded by the CMRS Board.”

Government Contract Review Committee Minutes for December 15, 2008:

(Government Contract Review Committee Minutes for December 15, 2008: Link)

          Senator Julian Carroll made the motion to approve the request.  Coldiron had previously worked for Carroll when he was governor.  (“Beshear orders pay raise for friend and donor,” Herald-Leader, November 20, 2008.)  Edelen has been friends with Carroll for a longtime and they both have ties to Ross, Sinclaire & Associates (RSA).  (Edelen did consulting work for RSA: Link; Carroll was business partners with Terrell Ross and Murray Sinclaire in Thunder Ridge: Link.)

[kwjsubblog]

All of Coldiron’s Business Assets Were at Risk

           When Ralph Coldiron complained to his business partners Adam Edelen and Bob Babbage about needing to find an income source in October 2008, all of his business assets were at risk.  Chase Bank (originally Bank One) has a security interest in all of Ralph Coldiron’s business assets, which serve as collateral on a loan.  The security agreement was originally filed on September 26, 2001:

UCC Search: Link

[youwantbloodyouvegotit]

Will Carle

          Will Carle was one of Edelen’s political hires at the KOHS:

(John Cheves, “Beshear loyalists find a haven - Some question qualifications of Democratic governor’s homeland security hires,” Herald-Leader, November 19, 2008.)

          Will Carle followed Edelen to Beshear’s office when he became chief of staff to Beshear.  Will helped set up meetings when Bob Babbage felt like bringing his clients by for informal visits:

(John Cheves, “Lobbyist had easy Capitol access - e-mails mention visits Brought clients to meet chief of staff,” Herald-Leader, Tuesday, January 13, 2009.)

         Will later became Edelen’s campaign manager in 2011, and Edelen has paid him $73,500 as a consultant for his current campaign.

[kwjsubblog]

Some More Edelen-Companies of Interest

          The Herald-Leader focused primarily on Edelen’s ties to Chartwell Land Company, LLC, because it directly tied in Coldiron and Babbage.  However, Edelen had other business ties that should have drawn attention but may have been overlooked.  Including:

Bluesand Investments, LLC:

         Organized by Ralph Coldiron.  Kim Geveden was the managing partner, so he was the only person listed in the “current” officers section.  However, if you look at the Articles of Organization you will see that the company had four members: Kim Geveden, Ralph Coldiron, Adam Edelen, and Jesse McKnight.

Link

Newsouth Strategies, LLC:

[Company Website: Link]

Link