Staff Reports
In a brutal attack ad titled “Monsters,” the Club for Growth PAC and School Freedom Fund have targeted Kentucky Governor Andrew G. Beshear, linking him to a sex felon he pardoned named James Hamlin. Hamlin was convicted of sodomizing a six-year-old child and sentenced to 25 years in prison for each conviction. However, he was eligible for parole in 2039 and expected to be released in 2044.
School Freedom Fund President David McIntosh expressed his disgust at Beshear’s actions and accused him of prioritizing a “pro-crime agenda” over public safety. McIntosh further criticized the governor for his alignment with the national Democratic Party, which has waged a regulatory war against coal despite the strong backing Beshear receives from teachers and coal unions in Kentucky.
Beshear’s Republican opponent in the upcoming gubernatorial election is Daniel J. Cameron, who has received the endorsement of the Club for Growth PAC. Although polls consistently show Beshear with a comfortable lead, Cameron has the support of influential figures like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and President Donald J. Trump, as well as the Republican Governors Association.
The ad produced by the School Freedom Fund is part of a series highlighting the impact of Beshear’s pardons and commutations of criminals. It outlines the case of Nathan Nickell, who committed further assaults within six months of being released, and Ashley Lewis, a convicted felon involved in a killing just days before Christmas.
