Kentucky state senator was on trip at center of FBI's probe of Ohio speaker
FRANKFORT, Ky. — A Kentucky lawmaker says he complied with "the letter and the spirit" of the state's ethics code in taking a four-day trip to England that's now at the heart of an FBI investigation that has led to the resignation of Ohio's House speaker.
Senate Majority Leader Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, said the trip, which was paid for by a Republican group called GOPAC Education Fund and included lawmakers from other states, was a valuable educational experience. He emphasized that no taxpayer dollars were spent on the trip.
He added that he has never been contacted by the FBI about the trip.
According to reports in The Cincinnati Enquirer, the late August trip to London is at the center of an FBI probe into former Ohio House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger’s lavish lifestyle and frequent trips paid for by outside groups or campaign donors that often include payday lending lobbyists.
The trip to London included lobbyists from other states who represent the payday lending industry. Thayer said no Kentucky lobbyists were on the trip.
“I’m on the GOPAC advisory board ... I was transparent about the trip. I posted photos about my London trip on social media," Thayer said. "... I can’t help it that Cliff Rosenberger is under investigation from the FBI."
https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2018/06/05/kentucky-senator-damon-thayer-defends-trip-ohio-fbi-investigation/664369002/