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Former Kentucky Democratic Party Chair Jerry Lundergan Ordered to Prison

Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting archive

The former chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party will be sent to federal prison on November 30th.

Ajury convicted Jerry Lundergan in 2019 for funneling more than $200,000 in illegal contributions to his daughter Alison Lundergan Grimes’ campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and conspiring to cover up the activity.

Grimes lost the race to incumbent Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell by more than 15 percentage points. She was serving as Kentucky’s secretary of state at the time and was not implicated in the scheme.

Lundergan wassentenced to 21 months in prison and fined $150,000 in 2020. He appealed the conviction and was allowed to remain free while doing so, but the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals denied his request.

Lundergan owns a catering business in Lexington and served as a state representative in the 1980s. He chaired the Kentucky Democratic party in the late 80’s and early 2000’s.

According to the Lexington Herald Leader,Lundergan plans to appeal the conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ryland Barton is the Managing Editor for Collaboratives. He's covered politics and state government for NPR member stations KWBU in Waco and KUT in Austin. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Texas. He grew up in Lexington.

Email Ryland at rbarton@lpm.org.
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