By Gabe Bullard
Louisville, KY – An outside political group is running a radio ad criticizing Governor Steve Beshear for earning support from LGBT rights groups and protecting state employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation. The ad was paid for by the Restoring America Campaign Committee, which is also running television ads blasting Beshear on a number of issues and promoting GOP candidate David Williams. The committee's donor list hasn't yet been published, and filings with the state list two men from Ohio and one from New York as officers.When asked for comment, Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman said:
"We're disgusted by the ads but aren't surprised Senator Williams' cohorts would employ such hate-mongering tactics in a difficult, uninspired and uphill campaign for the Senate President."
The Fairness Campaign endorsed Beshear's first bid for governor, but has not yet endorsed a candidate in this year's elections. Hartman says Beshear and independent Gatewood Galbraith are the only candidates for governor to answer a survey on LGBT issues. A call to Williams's campaign was not returned, but a campaign spokesman previously told the Courier-Journal he knew nothing about the Restoring America ads.