Former Kentucky Democratic Party chief Jerry Lundergan sentenced to federal prison

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky's former Democratic Party chief has been sentenced to 21 months in federal prison.

Jerry Lundergan and a co-defendant were in federal court in Frankfort on Thursday after being convicted last year of orchestrating a scheme to funnel more than $200,000 illegal contributions to his daughter’s failed 2014 U.S. Senate campaign against Republican Mitch McConnell. His daughter is former Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes.

In addition to the 21 months behind bars, Lundergan, 73, was also sentenced by Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove to two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $150,000. Lundergan could have faced up to 78 months in prison.

Codefendant Dale C. Emmons, 67, of Richmond, Kentucky, was sentenced to nine months in a halfway house, three years of supervised release and ordered to pay a fine of $50,000.

A jury convicted Lundergan in September 2019 of one count of conspiracy, one count of making corporate campaign contributions, four counts of causing the submission of false statements to the FEC and four counts of causing the falsification of documents with the intent to obstruct and impede a matter within the FEC’s jurisdiction.

Emmons was convicted of one count of conspiracy, one count of making corporate campaign contributions, two counts of causing the submission of false statements and two counts of causing the falsification of documents with the intent to obstruct and impede.

Defense attorneys argued that the unreimbursed corporate spending by Lundergan was inadvertent and only hurt his family. But federal prosecutors wanted to set an example.

"This case should underscore the fundamental principle that breaking the law has consequences," Robert M. Duncan Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, said in a release. "The defendants circumvented the campaign finance laws, by knowingly making over $200,000 in unlawful corporate campaign contributions and causing false filings to be submitted to the Federal Election Commission. These are important laws that regulate the integrity of our elections. A jury convicted them, and the Court has now sentenced them for their crimes."

Eighty-five letters were posted in the court file earlier this month in support of Lundergan noting his devotion to family and friends, his devout Catholic faith, his success in business and his charitable giving, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Former President Bill Clinton wrote of his “deep personal friendship” with Lundergan, calling him “a good man with a big heart who has made a positive difference in countless lives, including my own.”

Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari wrote that Lundergan supports holiday dinners for needy families. “I have never met a more generous or caring man, he cares more about those around him than he does about himself,” Calipari wrote.