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Dec 25, 2025

Kentucky Auditor Finds ‘Concerning Luxury’ Spending By Democrat Governor

Kentucky’s Republican auditor recently spoke to Fox News Digital regarding a report she released that highlights concerns about excessive spending in the state’s executive branch led by Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, who is widely perceived to have presidential ambitions in the future.

Allison Ball issued a report earlier this month detailing spending by the executive branch for fiscal year 2025, which was entered into the state’s system. She flagged issues that demonstrate extravagant spending of tax dollars that “needs to stop.”

The “concerning expenditures” listed include $183,576 in out-of-state travel costs, which encompass $7,632 for a limousine in Germany, $17,013 for a dinner at a Kentucky distillery, and $360,000 for 75 people attending a two-day conference within the Commonwealth, Fox News reported.

“We saw some really excessive, really worrying and questionable expenditures,” Ball told Fox News Digital.

“For example, one of the things we saw is that the governor and the tourism cabinet spent about $338,000 on a nonprofit called First Saturday in May. So, for people who are not from Kentucky, the first Saturday in May is when the [Kentucky] Derby happens. So, that money actually went to events for VIPs to come in and celebrate and observe the Derby,” she added.

Ball stated that the spending data was entered by the executive branch into the Commonwealth’s eMARS system. While she recognizes that elected officials may need to allocate more funds for security than ordinary citizens, she classified much of the flagged spending as “luxury items.”

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