Frankfort, Ky. (August 26, 2024) – Today, Kentucky Auditor Allison Ball and Ombudsman Jonathan Grate filed a lawsuit in Franklin Circuit Court seeking to restore the Ombudsman Office’s access to iTWIST.
The iTWIST database houses information essential to the Ombudsman’s efforts to help Kentucky’s children and adults suffering from poor treatment by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Ombudsman access to the database also protects the identity of CHFS whistleblowers, shielding them from Cabinet retaliation. Since the transition of the Ombudsman’s Office from CHFS to Auditor Ball’s Office, Governor Beshear and the Cabinet have prohibited the Ombudsman from accessing iTWIST as is lawfully permitted.
“The Commonwealth Office of the Ombudsman needs access to iTWIST to serve the people of Kentucky, especially its most vulnerable children and adults,” Auditor Allison Ball said. “We have tried everything in our power to reach an agreement with the Cabinet to restore iTWIST access. But unfortunately, Governor Beshear and the Cabinet are more interested in placing unworkable and unlawful constraints on our access than helping the Commonwealth’s endangered children and adults. I am committed to pursuing every path forward to ensure the well-being of all Kentuckians."
Since its creation, the Ombudsman’s Office has always had full, direct, and real-time access to iTWIST. However, after the July 1, 2024, transition from the Cabinet to Auditor Ball’s Office, CHFS has obstructed this access. The General Assembly made clear with the plain language of Senate Bill 48 (2023) that iTWIST access was included in the Ombudsman’s move to the Auditor’s Office.
To view the full complaint, click here.
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