Gov. Andy Beshear extends a handshake during a ceremonial groundbreaking for The Paddocks of Frankfort at Interstate 64 and U.S. 127. The ceremony was moved into the Capital Rotunda because of heavy rain the day before. (Gov. Andy Beshear, X account)
FRANKFORT — Developers of a large regional shopping center under construction in Frankfort gave $100,000 to Gov. Andy Beshear’s super PAC in August.
It amounts to the largest group of contributions ever reported by the super PAC — called In This Together — which Beshear created in January.
In early June Beshear was joined by the developers and local and state leaders in the Capitol Rotunda to ceremonially break ground on The Paddocks of Frankfort, a major retail development that will feature Target as an anchor tenant.
Beshear thanked developers and investors for making what he said was a $150 million investment that would “support” more than 1,000 jobs. Developers thanked the state and local officials – particularly the Beshear administration and legislature for funding major road improvements that made the long-planned project possible.
Local and state officials lined up with shovels at the ceremonial groundbreaking moved indoors because of weather. (Gov. Andy Beshear, X account)
The state road plan includes funding to build a realigned interchange at I-64 and U.S. 127 and other improvements in access to the site.
The Frankfort and Franklin County governments approved tax increment financing for other infrastructure to support the project.
On Friday, In This Together, filed a report with the Federal Election Commission that listed $100,000 in contributions on Aug. 8 from limited liability companies affiliated with the developers, Patrick Madden and Equity Management Group.
Specifically, the donors listed in the report are:
TPOF Manager LLC, of Lexington, $50,000. This company was formed in February, according to records filed with the Kentucky Secretary of State. The records list no owners or officers of TPOF Manager LLC, but do list Equity Management Group, of Lexington, as its registered agent. Equity Management Group is one of the real estate companies handling the development according to a June press release from the governor’s office.
Sir Barton Place LLC, of Lexington, $25,000. This is a real estate company managed by Madden.
War Admiral Place LLC, of Lexington, $25,000. This is another real estate company managed by Madden.
Neither Madden nor Equity Management Group immediately returned phone calls from Kentucky Lantern seeking comment on the contributions.
Eric Hyers, the PAC’s political strategist who managed both of Beshear’s successful campaigns for governor, responded to questions from Kentucky Lantern in a statement: “This is an important economic development project for Frankfort that has been years in the making, and Mr. Madden has been a long-time supporter of Gov Beshear.”
Hyers also said, “We are proud that ITT (In This Together) is raising money to help good people win in Kentucky and all over the country and that people are donating because of the proven leadership of Governor Beshear.”
Beshear, a Democrat, created In This Together in early January as a mechanism to raise contributions he would use to support like-minded political candidates both within Kentucky and across the country.
From January through August the super PAC has reported raising $897,500.
Before August, the largest contribution it reported was $25,000 from Freedom Senior Share LLC, of Louisville, which operates under the assumed name of Freedom Adult Day Healthcare.
In This Together reported raising a total of $187,900 in August. It reported spending $40,100 during the month and that it had $681,800 on hand as of Aug. 31.
Hyers said in July that the super PAC planned to wait until the fall before spending significant amounts to help candidates supported by Beshear. In August it reported making just one contribution – $6,600 to the campaign of Democratic U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, of Wisconsin.