FRANKFORT, Ky. (November 13, 2024) – The following is a statement from Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball and Ombudsman Jonathan Grate concerning the Beshear Administration's attempt to unmask whistleblowers in ongoing investigations.
"Over the past few weeks, we launched two critical investigations into issues affecting vulnerable Kentuckians - one investigation examining the Cabinet for Health and Family Services' implementation of a law that could help thousands of children in the kinship care program and another investigation examining why foster children are sleeping in office buildings across Kentucky.
We were hopeful the Beshear Administration would work collaboratively with our offices to find solutions to help Kentucky's children; however, no attempt has been made to initiate any problem-solving efforts.
Instead, the first communication we received from the Beshear Administration were demands designed to obstruct the ongoing investigations and unmask individuals who have come forward to ask us for help. We will continue working to ensure vulnerable children receive the care they deserve and that those who provide information helpful to our investigations are protected from retaliation.
We are fully committed to maintaining the highest level of confidentiality for constituent complaints that we receive, recognizing that safeguarding this information is crucial to upholding the integrity of the process itself. We will continue to seek the truth, fight for the people of Kentucky, and root out waste, fraud, and abuse every day."
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