- Louisville Metro Councilwoman Donna Purvis consented to pay a $10,000 penalty due to violations of campaign finance laws.
- Former legislative aide Denise Bentley filed further complaints alleging persistent campaign finance infractions by Purvis.
Louisville Metro Councilwoman Donna Purvis has agreed to a $10,000 penalty related to campaign finance infractions via a conciliation agreement approved by the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance on Thursday.
Initially, Purvis faced fines totaling around $20,000 but opted to pay a reduced amount of $10,000 in November, according to a report from KREF. This payment appears to have been sourced from her 2022 primary election funds, as noted in a late-filed campaign expenditure report made public on Wednesday.
KREF stated that Purvis failed to accurately report all campaign contributions, neglected to disclose her personal funds utilized for the campaign, and did not make specific bank deposits for the contributions collected during the 2022 primary and general elections. Other alleged violations were dismissed.
The investigators concluded that there was “no evidence to suggest that the violations were made knowingly,” according to the agreement. However, Denise Bentley, Purvis’s former legislative assistant, claims that Purvis is still violating campaign finance regulations and lodged new complaints last week.
Purvis, a Democrat who represents a significant portion of west Louisville, faced criticism from community advocates for failing to file her campaign finance reports in 2022, a year when her victory margin was just 35 votes.
“It’s unacceptable to be two to three years behind in filings, particularly after a highly competitive election,” stated Bentley, who filed both initial and subsequent allegations regarding campaign finance violations against Purvis.
Purvis’s legal representative asserted that she found the filing process confusing and sought assistance in completing her reports.
In a recent interview with the Courier Journal, Metro Council President Brent Ackerson referred to the finance violations as a “mistake,” asserting that they were “not done intentionally.” Conversely, Bentley argued that she encouraged Purvis to undergo KREF training and “grasp the necessary procedures.”
Bentley is engaged in an ongoing legal dispute with Purvis. On Wednesday, the day prior to KREF’s approval of the conciliation agreement, Bentley submitted three more complaints regarding campaign finance violations against the councilwoman, alleging that Purvis has failed to submit her annual report and that undisclosed donations were received.
Purvis did not respond to The Courier Journal’s request for comments.
These campaign finance violations are among several legal and ethical challenges Purvis has encountered since taking office in early 2019. An ethics complaint is currently under review, and a constituent has recently filed a police report against her alleging harassment.
Contact reporter Eleanor McCrary at [email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ellie_mccrary.
