Jane Murray: Lexington Credit Card Scandal

Jane Murray (then going by her married name, Jane Vimont) worked for Lexington Mayor Scotty Baesler from 1986 to 1992. When Mr. Baesler was elected to congress in 1992, Jane Murray-Vimont went with Baesler to Washington as his legislative assistant.

In September 1995, when Baesler was running for re-election to congress the Lexington Herald Leader (the largest newspaper in Ky) ran a FRONT PAGE story (9/25/1995) which was very critical of both Congressman Baesler and Jane for a lingering scandal from Baesler's time as Mayor of Lexington.

The original article is presented below.

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The paper, mentioned Jane Murray-Vimont by name, and accused Baesler and Murray-Vimont of violating city policy regarding personal expenses "from 1987 to December 1992" (corresponding to Murray-Vimont's time in the office). Despite warnings by auditors of the city's finances, Jane as the mayor's legislative liaison continued to violate the City's policy on credit card use.

Here is a quote from the Herald Leader's story:

Many of the [credit card] charges made by Jane Vimont, the city's legislative liaison under Baesler, also did not include receipts. A $708 American Express bill for July 1991 for example, has no receipts attached and no detail for what the charges were for. A note on the payment voucher says only "cultural center travel." Vimont said she regularly provided receipts, and they must have been lost.

Other violations of City policy by Murray-Vimont included overly expensive meals and lodging, expensive gifts given to public officials (for example, $27 letter openers given to state legislators--this was in 1990 dollars), and excessive economic development trips to Japan, Korea, India, Europe, New Orleans, etc.

This 'page-one' coverage was a serious blow to Baesler who was up for reelection the following year and who was also planning to run for governor (which he did in 1998, but was defeated). Jane Murray's website says she left the Congressman's office in 1995. But according to the Herald-Leader story, she was still employed by Baesler's office on Sept. 25, 1995, so she obviously left after the scandal, and as a result of her misfeasance of public funds and the newspaper's revelations which came at a very embarrassing time for Congressman Baesler.

During her campaign for mayor, Murray constantly accused the mayor and City officials of breaking the law, of cover-ups, of malfeasance, and of incompetence. But state auditors and newspapers in Kentucky have accused her with the same charges and worse: that she misused City of Lexington funds in violation of state and City policies for her own personal benefit.

During the campaign, Jane Murray she said that she was elected she would "abide by the law."

Murray did not abide by the law in Lexington and has not abided by the law in Portsmouth. If Murray is not recalled the remaining three years of her terms will be a continuing disaster and embarrassment to the City of Portsmouth.