Beshear’s PAC has raised $493,000, but given little so far to help other candidates

Gov. Andy Beshear's PAC, In This Together, has raised almost a half-million dollars in its first six month. "Forward, Together" was the theme of his second inauguration on Dec. 12, 2024. Beshear was surrounded by family and friends viewing the inaugural parade. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

FRANKFORT — Gov. Andy Beshear’s political action committee raised $493,000 in its first six months, but so far it has made few contributions to fulfill its purpose of helping “good people” win closely-contested elections across the country.

Through June 30 the Beshear PAC, named In This Together, has donated only $24,800 to candidates it has endorsed, according to reports the PAC has filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Its largest contribution so far was also its most recent — $12,800 donated on June 20 to NC Democratic Leadership Committee of Raleigh, North Carolina. In the spring, In This Together endorsed North Carolina’s Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein’s campaign for governor, and this donation apparently is intended to help that campaign.

Previously, In This Together reported giving $6,600 to Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana; $3,300 to an Ohio committee supporting Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown’s reelection campaign; and $2,100 to Kentucky Court of Appeals Judge Pamela Goodwine’s campaign for Kentucky Supreme Court.

In This Together has reported spending about $107,000 in operating expenses during its first six months — more than four times the amount of its donations. These expenses are for strategy consultants, fundraising consultants, a compliance consultant, legal fees, bank fees, credit card processing fees and costs for running a website.

Most of what the PAC has collected — about $361,000 — remains as cash on hand as of June 30.

Eric Hyers, the PAC’s political strategist who managed Beshear’s successful campaigns for governor in 2019 and 2023, said that from the start the PAC intended to wait until the fall to do most of its spending to help its endorsed candidates in Kentucky and across America. And Hyers said that the PAC will be supporting its endorsed candidates more in the form of independent expenditures than in direct donations to the candidates’ campaigns.

He also said future expenses of the PAC will show travel costs for Beshear to campaign in-person for his endorsed candidates. (So far the PAC has reported spending no money for Beshear travel expenses.)

Hyers said he’s satisfied with the fundraising amount so far. “Fundraising has gone well so far,” he said, adding that he expects to report larger fundraising numbers in the coming months.

Beshear, who cannot seek a third term as governor, created In This Together on Jan. 7. The PAC’s website says it “will support good people and good candidates running for local, statewide and federal office in red or purple states who demonstrate a commitment to leading with empathy and compassion and the backbone to always do what’s right, regardless of politics.”

It is only half of Beshear’s post reelection personal political operation. The other half is an organization called Heckbent Inc. Unlike In This Together which must report its donations and expenses to the FEC, Heckbent is a “dark money” group — a 501 (c)(4) committee which does not disclose names of donors. According to its website, Heckbent ‘s purpose is to advance Beshear’s policy agenda in Kentucky.

Beshear is widely reported as one of several Democratic leaders across the country being considered by Vice President Kamala Harris — the all-but-official Democratic presidential nominee in the wake of President Joe Biden’s sudden exit from the race — as her running mate. It’s unclear what happens with In This Together and Heckbent if Harris picks Beshear.

Here’s a look at who has provided the big dollars so far to In This Together

A Louisville company called Freedom Senior Share LLC made the single largest donation to In This Together — $25,000 on June 28. Freedom Senior Share LLC operates under an assumed name of Freedom Adult Day Healthcare and its website says its purpose is to provide “essential in-home care services as a great alternative to traditional nursing homes.”

Earlier this year, Nachiketa Bhatt, identified in a report filed by In This Together as the managing member of Freedom Adult Day Healthcare, donated $5,000 to In This Together. Bhatt was a major contributor to committees supporting Beshear’s reelection as governor and has been a donor to both Republican and Democratic candidates for the state legislature from Jefferson County.

In February a political action committee based in Louisville called BlueWaveAmerica made a $20,000 contribution to In This Together. The PAC, based in Louisville and headed by  Democratic former U.S. Rep. Mike Ward, has a goal of electing Democrats in rural America with a focus on red and purple states.

In June, a group of Nashville-area donors (12 people and one PAC) gave a combined $32,000. The Courier Journal recently reported that in June Beshear spoke in Nashville at a “Championing Reproductive Freedom” event.

Twenty-five attorneys with the law firm Frost Brown Todd – most of them from the firm’s Louisville office – combined to give $23,650 to In This Together between mid-May and early June.

And Edward Britt Brockman, a big political donor to Beshear’s committees and a Beshear appointee to the University of Kentucky Board of Trustees, is listed by In This Together as giving $10,000 in June.

Here are other big donors. Each is listed by In This Together as having given $5,000:

William Grover Arnett, Salyersville, attorney

Lawrence Benz, Louisville

Jane Beshear, Lexington

Steve Beshear, Lexington, attorney

Campbell Brown, Louisville, chairman, Brown-Forman

Sherman Brown, Louisville, government relations, McCarthy Strategic Solutions

Gregory Bubalo, Louisville, attorney

William Butler, Covington, CEO, Corporex

John Dant, Nashville, president, Log Still Distillery

Ruth Day, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, CIO for Kentucky state government

Christopher Dischinger, Louisville, developer, LDG Inc.

Lisa Dischinger, Louisville, real estate, LDG Inc.

John Dougherty, Louisville

Michael Dudgeon, Midway, owner, Milan Farm LLC

Joe Ellis, Benton, optometrist, Clarkson Eyecare

Frank Garrison, Nashville

Ben Gastel, Nashville, lawyer, HSG Law

Patrick Gaunce, Glasgow

Leslie Geoghegan, Louisville, civic volunteer

Ron Geoghegan, Louisville, McCarthy Strategic Solutions

Gloria for Tennessee, Nashville, TN, $5,000

Jonathan Goldberg, Louisville, attorney, Goldberg & Simpson

Jim Gray, Lexington

Scott Hagan, Louisville, developer, Hagan Properties

Walter Halbleib, Louisville, lawyer, Stites and Harbison

Judith Hanekamp, Masonic Home

Chauncey Hiestand, Louisville, attorney, Winton and Hiestand Law Group

Carrie Hieistand, Louisville

William Hodgkin, Winchester

Kentucky Bankers Assn. PAC, Louisville, $5,000

Jonathan Krebs, Hattiesburg, MS, partner, Horne

Franklin Lassiter, Midway, HealthTech Solutions

Adam Levin, Brentwood, Tennessee, entrepreneur

James R. Martin, Jacksonville Beach, Florida, retired

Michael McGhee, Elkton, president, McGhee Engineering

Jonathan Miller, Lexington, attorney, Frost Brown Todd

McKinnley Morgan, London, attorney, Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer

Keith L. Murt Sr., Paducah, owner, Murtco Inc.

Charlie O’Connor, Versailles, sales, Ashford

Joseph Prather, Louisville, chief medical officer, Baptist Health

Jay Pritzker, Chicago, IL, governor of Illinois

Jonathan Rabinowitz, Versailles, attorney, Morgan and Morgan

Nathan Smith, Ft. Mitchell, CIO, Flagship Communities

Anna Stroble, Ridgeland, Mississippi, partner, Horne

Mark Swartz, Winchester, contractor, Swartz Enterprises

Mike Swartz, Olympia, owner, Mike Swartz Enterprises

Ron Winchell, Las Vegas, Nevada, hospitality, ECL

Jeremy Winton, Louisville

David Whitehouse, Lexington

Bill Wolfe, West Palm Beach, Florida, executive, First Washington Realty

Mark Workman, Paducah, engineer, Bacon Farmer Workman Engineering

Kelly Workman, Paducah