Former Personnel Cabinet Secretary Tim Longmeyer has pleaded guilty to bribery charges in a deal with the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Longmeyer admitted to receiving nearly $200,000 in cash from a consulting firm in exchange for shepherding state business to the company over the course of 2014 and 2015.
He also admitted to directing campaign donations from the consulting firm to political campaigns.
United States Attorney Kerry Harvey wouldn’t say if Longmeyer is cooperating with investigators, but he said his sentence would likely be reduced.
“There is an incentive to acknowledge guilt in a timely manner,” Harvey said.
The plea agreement was filed in court on Tuesday and also included a sealed portion, which Harvey wouldn’t discuss.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Longmeyer waived his right to have a grand jury weigh in on a possible indictment.
Longmeyer was most recently a deputy attorney general in Attorney General Andy Beshear’s office. He resigned days before he was charged with bribery on March 25.
Harvey said no one in the attorney general’s office is a target of the ongoing investigation.
MC Squared is believed to be the company that made the alleged payoffs to Longmeyer.
MC Squared employees have donated a total of $15,500 to former Gov. Steve Beshear, Attorney General Andy Beshear, former AG Jack Conway and the Kentucky Democratic Party. Harvey said that the candidates were not under investigation.
“The investigation has not revealed any evidence that the candidates that received these contributions had knowledge that the contributions were tainted. I’m not aware of anything that would change that,” he said.
Harvey wouldn’t say if his office was looking into Gov. Matt Bevin’s accusations of corruption in former Gov. Beshear’s administration.
“I leave those comments over in Frankfort. What we do in cooperation with our FBI partners is follow substantial leads wherever the evidence might go,” he said.
Longmeyer now faces up to 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines when he is sentenced on Aug. 18. He will remain out on bond until then.