By Alan Lytle
Lexington, KY – The panel, headed up by Newberry's electoral opponent, Vice Mayor Jim Gray, includes two council members, KC Crosbie, and Diane Lawless, who have openly supported the vice mayor's campaign. Newberry says their presence is enough to call the committee's findings into question.
"The vice mayor had an opportunity to appoint an unbiased group. He opted instead to put his former campaign manager and one of his biggest allies on the council on the committee. That's unfortunate".
Meanwhile the Lexington Herald Leader Editorial board calls the mayor's assertions hypocritical; pointing out that Dewitt Hisle, the chairman of the city's Internal Audit Board, is also Newberry's re- election campaign treasurer. The I-A-B has previously investigated the fraud allegations and has found no wrongdoing. Newberry continues to express support for a concurrent independent investigation being conducted by the state auditor's office.