Top Kentucky Democrat Pardoned by Biden Moments Before Leaving Office

Former President Joe Biden pardoned Jerry Lundergan, one of the most influential Kentucky Democrats of the modern era, moments before he left office.

The action was announced as the inauguration ceremony of Republican President Donald Trump began. The former Kentucky Democratic Party chair was convicted in 2018 for the contributions made through a corporation to his daughter Alison Lundergan Grimes in her 2014 challenge against Sen. Mitch McConnell. Grimes, a Democrat, was a two-term secretary of state serving from 2012-2020.

Lundergan, 77, thanked for Biden’s pardon and expressed contrition in the release.

Lundergan had petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his sentence, arguing the federal ban on corporate contributions is unconstitutional when applied to contributions from a close family member. The country’s highest court denied his motion. True wrote in the news release that he was “pleased beyond measure” for the Lundergan family. “This is a worthy application of the pardon power: A mistake motivated by a father’s love for his daughter. But with or without the pardon, Jerry always works to make the world a better place in which to live.”

The elder Lundergan has been heavily involved in the state Democratic party for decades since narrowly losing to Steve Beshear, who later became governor, for a Lexington-based state House seat in 1975. He later served two stints in the Kentucky House and was chair of the state party at two separate times, in the 1980s and in the 2000s.

Lundergan's daughter, Allison Lundergan Grimes, rose through the ranks of state politics as one of just two Democrats in statewide office during the administration of former Republican governor Matt Bevin. She faced her own controversy while in office, eventually leading to ethics charges against her related to her access and sharing of voter data. Those charges were reversed last year in a Franklin Circuit Court ruling.

The Republican Party of Kentucky (RPK) Communications Director Andy Westberry issued the following statement regarding President Biden's pardon of Jerry Lundergan in the final hours of his presidency:

 "Nobody should be surprised that Joe Biden doubled down on his legacy of championing corruption by issuing last-minute pardons on his way out the door. After all, he and his family have long benefited from the same 'Good Old Boys' Club' that protects Democratic Party insiders from accountability. Jerry Lundergan, a longtime Democratic establishment loyalist, exemplifies this cronyism.

 "This pardon is yet another example of Joe Biden and Kentucky Democrats believing in 'rules for thee, but not for me.' Thankfully, the Biden administration—corrupt even in its final moments—has now been relegated to the trash heap of history."