Louisville Metro Council committee recommends removal charges for Anthony Piagentini in ethics case

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Louisville Metro Council Charging Committee is recommending formal removal charges for a council member over ethics violations.

The committee has been examining evidence from Anthony Piagentini's Ethics Commission ruling.

The bipartisan Louisville ethics board last month found Piagentini, a Republican from eastern Jefferson County, guilty on six of seven charges levied against him in a case involving a $40 million COVID-19 stimulus grant he co-sponsored for his future employer, the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. The commission unanimously recommended Piagentini be removed from Metro Council and imposed a $500 fine for each violation — for a total of $3,000.

In a suit appealing that decision, Piagentini’s attorneys claim the councilman was denied due process during the August trial, in part because of an alleged "clear animus toward Republican lawmakers" by the commission’s chair, Dee Pregliasco.

Metro Council created the charging committee that began meeting this month and is weighing whether to convene a removal trial against Piagentini, with the council members deciding his fate. Piagentini, a Republican, has pointed out that the committee is made up of all Democrats. Committee Chair Cindi Fowler (D-14) said she reached out to Republicans to join, but none responded.

Piagentini has denied any wrongdoing and even filed a lawsuit that said the ethics committee's findings are tainted by bias.

During a meeting on Tuesday, the charging committee recommended the full Metro Council move forward with formal removal charges for Piagentini.

"After thorough review of the evidence in this matter and in light of the Ethics Commission's recommendation for removal due to misconduct on the part of Councilman Piagentini, the Committee is obliged to uphold the integrity of the Metro Council and move forward with removal charges," Councilman Andrew Owen, D-9 and vice-chair of the committee, said in a news release.

The committee's complaint includes the six violations ruled on by the Ethics Commission, and adds two more. Those charges are misconduct by failing to disclose and perjury. The perjury charge states that Piagentini testified that he was not working on matters related to the grant, but the committee found he had participated in Metro meetings in January 2023 on behalf of CEOc.

The committee will file a written complaint with the Metro Council Clerk, which Metro Council's president, Markus Winkler (D-17,) will deliver to the full Council during its next meeting on Thursday.

In the complaint, members write that starting in November 2021, Piagentini "pursued and solicited a consulting contract" with CEOc as he advocated for the grant. Officials wrote that out of 30 eligible applicants for the grant, CEOc scored 29 out of 30. The document shows that those evaluating the grant wrote CEOc was proposing low wage positions, and was competing against organizations more prepared for workforce development.

WDRB News spoke to Piagentini on the phone shortly after the decision to recommend charges. He maintains his innocence, vows to continue fighting, and said he is glad to defend himself in front of his colleagues.

If this proceeds to trial, 18 of the 26 council members would have to vote to remove Piagentini from council. There are currently 16 Democrats, one Independent, and nine Republicans on Council.

A copy of the written complaint can be found in the PDF below:

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