Former Kentucky state lawmaker John Arnold is fighting a guilty verdict in his ethics trial. His attorney filed an appeal in Franklin Circuit Court yesterday asking a judge to rescind a ruling by a state ethics panel that found Arnold guilty of abusing his office when he sexually harassed and assaulted three state House employees.
That ruling consisted of a public reprimand of Arnold, as well as $3,000 in fines.
Arnold’s lawyer, Bowling Green attorney Steven Downey, argues that the Kentucky Legislative Ethics Commission lacked jurisdiction over Arnold when he resigned last September.
The appeal also states that the commission erred by basing its decision on the issue of sexual harassment, for which the commission lacks statutory authority. In its ruling, however, the commission said that Arnold had abused his office as a result of his sexual misconduct.
Arnold has denied the charges against him.
