by  –

Greg Stumbo also suggests Republicans broke laws. Joe Gerth, CJ

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky House Speaker Greg Stumbo said the Democratic Party may sue lawmakers who left the party to join the GOP in the weeks since the party took heavy losses in the 2015 general election.

Democrats now hold a 50-46 majority in the House with four special elections slated for March 8 to fill four remaining seats. Since the election of Republican Matt Bevin in November, state Reps. Denny Butler and Jim Gooch announced they were headed to the GOP.

After a Democratic Caucus meeting, Stumbo said that members who accepted money from donors or assistance from the Democratic Party to run for election and then became Republicans may have defrauded the party and donors.

“There has been some discussion at the party level asking for litigation, asking for return of dollars, donations to the candidates that changed their party affiliation.” Stumbo said. “The theory of fraud.”

Democratic Party Chairman Patrick Hughes could not be reached to comment.

Stumbo also reiterated past allegations that Republicans may be in violation of federal and state laws if they made improper incentives to Democrats in an effort to get them to switch parties.

“If the rumors were true, that people had been offered things of value to influence their decision, that is likely to be a state ethics and criminal violation and probably a federal violation, but we don’t know that for a fact,” he said.

House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, who has previously said that Republicans have not done anything wrong, criticized Stumbo.

“Greg Stumbo is desperate,” he said in a statement. “This type of political rhetoric and failed leadership at his hands … is why Kentucky is near the bottom when it comes to education, job creation, pension solvency and so many other important issues. We can do better.”

Stumbo said he hasn’t approached Attorney General Andy Beshear about opening an investigation because he doesn’t have evidence of such offers but said if he finds it, he would be “duty-bound to contact the authorities.”

Joseph Gerth can be reached at 502-582-4702 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @Joe_Gerth.