Ashley Judd

FBI Investigates Source of Secret Audio Recording Made in Mitch McConnell's Office

WKU Public Radio News — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:00:25 +0000

The campaign manager for Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell says the FBI spent about an hour in the Senator’s Louisville office Wednesday, investigating a secret recording made of McConnell and staffers.

Audio from a re-election strategy meeting was published by the liberal news magazine Mother Jones.

The Herald-Leader reports campaign manager Jesse Benton says staffers have given pertinent information to the FBI, which has asked the campaign not to discuss details of its investigation. Benton told the paper that he thought the FBI had several leads in the case, and that he hoped whoever was responsible for making the recording would be prosecuted.

Kentucky allows individuals to record conversations to which they are a party without informing the other parties that they are doing so.

McConnell said the recording was an example of “Nixonian” tactics on the left, and that those behind the secret recording used “Watergate style tactics.”

Mother Jones says it received the recording from someone who requested anonymity. Mother Jones published audio excerpts from the McConnell meeting, in which the Kentucky Republican is heard comparing the early stages of the Senate campaign to a game of “whac-a-mole”.

A staffer also discussed strategies the McConnell campaign would use against actress Ashley Judd, who was considering a challenge to McConnell, but who has since said she won’t run. In the recording, the staffer says the campaign would use Judd’s admissions of depression and suicidal thoughts against her, and would also make issue of Judd’s attitudes towards what the staffer called “traditional Christianity.”

McConnell Campaign Asks FBI to Investigate Recording of Meeting Where Political Attacks Were Planned

Kevin Willis — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 19:34:33 +0000

Mitch McConnell’s campaign is asking the FBI to look into an audio recording of a staff meeting that was leaked to Mother Jones magazine. In the recording, Senator McConnell is heard saying that the campaign will aggressively attack any opponents and “do them out.”

The U.S. Senate Minority Leader also compared the early stages of the Senate campaign to a game of “Whac-A-Mole”, a game where participants strike an animated mole when it pops its head out of a hole.

Staffers also discuss at length the mental history of Ashley Judd, the Kentucky-born actress who was considering a Senate run against McConnell, but has since announced she will not run. A staffer is heard detailing Judd’s past admissions concerning episodes of depression and suicidal thoughts, calling Judd “emotionally unbalanced.”

McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton told the Courier-Journal that the recording amounted to “Watergate-style tactics” and that the campaign would allow the FBI to investigate the matter and not comment any further.

Kentucky Democrats Bash McConnell in Effort to Raise Funds

Associated Press — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:04:57 +0000

The Kentucky Democratic Party is trying to use Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell's re-election bid as a catalyst to raise money even before a serious challenger gets into the race.

In a series of emails bashing McConnell, Gov. Steve Beshear and other party leaders have been calling for financial donations to end the Republican floor leader's three-decade Senate career.

State Democratic Party Chairman Dan Logsdon said the results of the effort have been "awesome," though he declined to say how much has been raised.

Politico: McConnell's Reelection Effort Taking No Chances, Raising Big Dollars Early

WKU Public Radio News — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:32:32 +0000

A Politico profile of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell's reelection campaign describes the effort as using a "scorched earth" policy against any potential challengers.

McConnell has already aired $200,000 in TV and radio ads and has approached state Republican lawmakers in the state in an effort to "lock down" support in his party. The U.S. Senate Minority Leader could potentially face a primary challenge from the right, in addition to a potentially well-funded Democratic opponent in the general election.

With actress Ashley Judd announcing this week that she will not challenge McConnell, many political observers will now renew their focus on the possible Senate candidacy of Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

Ashley Judd Says She's Not Running For U.S. Senate

WKU Public Radio News — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 22:05:31 +0000

Actress Ashley Judd announced on Twitter Wednesday that she will not run for U.S. Senate in 2014. She had been rumored to be considering a run against Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell.

In a series of posts, the Kentucky native and current Tennessee resident said "After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my responsibilities & energy at this time need to be focused on my family. Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for the Senate."

"I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new leader. While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work... as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people & their needs, dreams, and great potential. Thanks for even considering me as that person & know how much I love our Commonwealth."

It's likely that with Judd's announcement there will be increased attention on Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes, a potential Senate challenger many establishment Democrats favored over Judd in the first place.