Presenting, habitual liar, Matthew Griswold Bevin!

I have a moral obligation to tell y'all, Matt Bevin is a habitual liar. That is a blunt, unequivocal statement and, sadly, it is true. Lies about tax returns, lies about absolute authority, lies about conversations he had with Democratic lawmakers about switching political parties. I have no respect for people who lie for personal or political gain. Matt Bevin is such a person.

Every time this story is brought up, Matt Bevin has a new lie. First it was that the meeting never happened, then it was that there was a meeting but that switching parties was never discussed, now he has added another more elaborate story to the ruse! Matt Bevin is a habitual liar, and this just proves it, if it wasn't already proven before. Let me take a moment to outline the timeline around Matt Bevin's lies on his attempted KY House Switcharoo. I'll follow with a short list of some of his other lies.



JULY 3, 2016
Rep. Kevin Sinnette, D-Ashland, says Governor Matt Bevin invited him to a meeting in the basement of the Governor's mansion, in late December 2015.

During the meeting, he claims the Governor wanted him to switch parties, and said if he didn't, he'd do everything in his power to take him down. The next day, after refusing to switch, recorded phone calls went out to his district, which, amongst other things, urged constituents to tell Sinnette to switch parties.

JULY 13, 2016
Bevin calls allegations by Rep. Sinnette "absolute malarkey." 

Going further, and addressing reporter Ronnie Ellis, Bevin said, “It was an absolute lie. You had no corroboration. The reality is that people lie about things. I absolutely, categorically deny every bit of that drivel.

AUGUST 27, 2016
A Second lawmaker comes forward, to say Matt Bevin also asked him to switch parties. Rep. Russ Meyer said when he refused, Bevin threatened him with retaliation.

Speaker Stumbo reacted to the allegations by calling for state and federal investigations into the allegations. If proven true, he said it should be followed by impeachment proceedings.

AUGUST 30, 2016
Rep. Meyer releases a copy of a voicemail left to him by Governor Matt Bevin, saying,

“Good morning Russ, Matt Bevin. I have had some conversations since our last conversation. A little disappointed by what I’m hearing, I would love to speak to you. I want to make sure you understand, where, where things are in my mind…and the decisions that I’m going to make in the days ahead, the weeks ahead, months ahead. I want you to be very aware of what the impact of those decisions will be as it relates to you, your seat, your district, etc., just so that we have all the cards on the table. I will try to reach you back later. This number will come in as ‘unknown.’ If you see it and have a moment to take it, please do. I will be in touch. Thank you.”

He said the message was sent after he refused to switch parties, and before a major road project in his district was cancelled.

Bevin's office said that the allegations were untrue, and that the voicemail was responding to Meyer expressing interest in switching parties so that he wouldn't lose against his Republican challenger.

Bevin also claimed that the project was cancelled because the Beshear administration failed to properly acquire the right-of-way property.

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016
Timeline of the Bevin House Flip allegations.

OCTOBER 5, 2016
House Speaker, Greg Stumbo, appoints 5 member committee to look into allegations Governor Bevin threatened Democratic House members to switch parties and retaliated against one by delaying a major road project.

Bevin's Chief of Staff immediately follows the announcement with his own press conference, in which he called the panel a "political farce." He then went on to say that Meyer went to Governor to request a job, where the governor had previously denied there had ever been a meeting.

OCTOBER 7, 2016
Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, declines to serve on House Committee, citing family concerns.

OCTOBER 21, 2016
Bevin releases emails claiming Meyer knew of right-of-way issue before the road's delay, therefore they claim it couldn't have possibly been delayed in retaliation. Meyer countered that the contract for the project was signed after Bevin came into office, which completely flies in the face of all the Bevin's administrations earlier claims that the delay was the Beshear administrations fault for giving the go ahead knowing there was a right-of-way issue.

House Committee investigating East Brannon Road project is launched. Bevin decries committee, calling it a "silly investigation."

OCTOBER 27,2016
Matt Bevin refuses to send 2 Transportation Cabinet Officials to testify before the House Committee that's tasked with investigating road delay allegations. He claims committee lacks the authority to investigate the issue.

OCTOBER 28, 2016
Speaker Stumbo files suit against the Governor, in an effort to get hold of previously unreleased emails pertaining to the East Brannon Road Project. The Governor had refused to comply with previous open records requests, but immediately released the emails after Stumbo filed suit.

OCTOBER 30, 2016
Governor Bevin makes a facebook post in which he claims he's "morally obligated" to tell the voters of the 39th Kentucky House District (parts of Jessamine and Fayette Counties) that, "State Rep. Russ Meyer is a habitual liar." Then he proceeded to endorse Rob Gullette.

Link to the post in full.


After repeated denials that the meeting even took place, he finally changes his story to: 

"After my election, and less than one year into his first term, Russ Meyer came to my administration looking for a job as a way to increase his income and his pension. I made it very clear that this was not going to happen. Russ Meyer then wanted to discuss the possibility of switching parties for fear that he might otherwise lose his seat. He did, in fact, discuss this topic on multiple occasions with members of my administration. In each instance, he was told that there would be no personal incentive offered for him to do so. His blatant misrepresentation of those discussions is reprehensible."

Quite the change in tune!


More of Matthew Griswold Bevin's lies:

July 2013
Bevin claimed to be a fiscal conservative who opposed special-interest bailouts, but took a $200,000 taxpayer funded bailout when his CT Bell Factory burned down. He didn't have insurance at the time, because it was "too expensive." 

August 2013
Bevin lied about never having claimed to have graduated from MIT. 

August 2013 - December 2013
Bevin supported shutting down the Government in order to defund "Obamacare." In December, he changed his tune, saying it was irresponsible to get to that point, and that Republicans and Democrats should be working together.

February 2014
Bevin lied and said he opposed the Wall Street bailout, when in actuality he signed a letter to investors praising it.

He said same-sex marriage could lead to parents marrying their children, then immediately denied saying it.

April 2014
Bevin lies about attending a cockfight. Subsequently defends cockfighting, at a cockfight, on tape.

February 2015 - Current
Matt Bevin says he will repeal Medicaid expansion, then lies and says he never said that.  Bevin proceeded to submit Kentucky HEALTH to the federal Government, a plan designed to reduce access and coverage for KY's working poor. He insists now, that if the Federal Gov't doesn't cede to his demands, he'll repeal Medicaid Expansion in KY, thereby eliminating health care for over 440,000 Kentuckians living in poverty. 

March 2015
Matt Bevin says he's against P3, because private companies expect to make a 4th P, Profit.  Changes his story in August of 2015, saying he only opposes it in the case of Brent Spence Bridge Project.  Then, at some point, he changed it to "I'm not opposed to P3, I've never, ever, said that." Bevin signed P3 into law in April 2016.

December 2015 - October 2016
Bevin lies about supporting the restoration of Felons' voting rights. Doesn't restore any during his first 10 months in office!

November 2015
Matt Bevin lies about Tax Returns

March 2016
Bevin makes video lying about Democratic lawmakers. Saying they weren't working, but they were actually working a different building. He used the video to try and Flip the House.

May 2016
Bevin lied about supporting George W. Bush's Real ID. After urging Republican lawmakers to pass the law, he quickly turned around and vetoed it. 

July 2016
Governor Bevin lies about U of L accreditation, saying it's not at risk by his disbanding of the U of L BOT. He also lies and says he has "absolute authority" to disband the board.

He even tried to block the original board from meeting after the judge reinstated them.

September 2016
Bevin lied about his speech he gave at the VVS, an event held by the listed hate-group, the FRC. Saying it was about the military.

October 2016
Matt Bevin lies about the Johnson Amendment, during super secret meetings with Kentucky pastors.


Presenting, habitual liar, Matthew Griswold Bevin.

Bloodshed Bevin presents "Super secret, vote Republican, Pastor Appreciation forums"

Ok, I want to take some time to try and explain everything I have dug up about this video. I've been doing quite a bit of digging since I first found it, on September 30, 2016. First, let me show you the video, in case you have no clue of what I am speaking:

So, this video was taken on September 29, 2016, at what is being billed as a "Pastor Appreciation Forum." A series of unpublicized, closed to the public, events.

Please ignore the small, phallic shadow....someone obviously misunderstood "Johnson amendment."

One notable name in attendance, is a fellow by the name of Richard Nelson. Richard Nelson, used to work for The Family Research Council (FRC), but left to create his own organization known as The Commonwealth Policy Center (CPC.) The CPC bills itself as, "[...] the only conservative grassroots effort in Kentucky committed to promoting conservative policies and influencing elections on behalf of principled conservative candidates."  

 According to Richard's facebook page, he presented Bevin with a "Friend of Religious Liberty Award."

Notice the screen behind him in the first picture? Well, that is displaying the site http://www.watchmenpastors.org/ which, interestingly enough, links to the afforementioned FRC, where they champion such lovely causes as sexism, homophobia, and transphobia...among other things! So, back to Watchmen Pastors...what do they have to say about politics? 

Q. What about the "Separation of Church and State?"
A. This is a misleading argument repeatedly trumpeted by secularists who denounce biblical morality and truth. As you probably know this often repeated mantra appears no where in our founding documents or governing documents. However, let us be clear, no one, especially bible believing Christians are calling for a state church. We do not believe any Church should rule over the State or the State over any Church, they were both created by God to fulfill separate but interrelated purposes. What is really meant by this phrase is a separation of God from government or Christians from the public square. This we unapologetically reject. We believe that since God ordained government (Rom. 13:1), He would want His people to influence it. After all, government is one of the spheres we should impact in our role as "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world" (Matt. 5:13, 16). Active engagement is also a legitimate contemporary application for Christians in America of what the Lord Jesus called for when He commanded: "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's" (Matt. 22:21).

Q. Are you asking us to get involved in Partisan Politics?
A. Absolutely not. The call to become a Watchman pastor and form a Watchmen network is something with far more eternal significance. A recent poll from the Culture and Media Institute shows that 74% of Americans believe our nation is in moral decline but only 36% believe we should live by God's principles of right and wrong. There is recognition of a problem but an inability to see the solution. We realize that the church must respond with repentance and experience revival if we are to lead a reversal of the moral decline in America . Therefore the Watchmen network is first and foremost a call to prayer. It is second of all a call to actively influence every area of society, including government, as the salt and the light (Matt. 5:13 -16). We must pray for revival and work for public policy that reflects biblical truth and support godly government, but we must not sell our souls to any political party or politician.


So, they want pastors to not only engage in politics, but to influence them, and to work for public policy that reflects their narrow view. They want to impose their religious view on the rest of us, by working as (and helping elect) bible-thumping politicians. Hmmm, it's weird, imposing their version of religion on everyone else? Reminds me of someone....Osis, Usis, Esis....I swear, it's on the tip of my tongue... Oh well, moving on! This was not the first event of it's kind. The first, was held on September 22, 2016, and the man who claims responsibility for that one is one Pastor Jeff Fugate of Clays Mill Road Baptist Church. He said, in his morning sermon on September 25, 2016, that he went to Bevin with the idea, and Bevin was all like, "Gee willikers friend! That's an amazing idea!" and lo, there was "Pastor Appreciation Forum 2016."

Bruce Rabon, State Administrative Bishop at Kentucky Church of God State Office, spoke along Pastor Jeff Fugate, Governor Bevin,  Rep. Stan Lee (R) HD 45, and possibly others of which I'm not aware.

Looking at his twitter profile, he does not care for LGBT persons, or women's rights, shocker, I know! Other notable names in attendance:

Representative David Hale (R) HD 74, who, on his facebook election page, has previously said in part "I have and will continue to stand for families, education and conservative values. A highlight of this was co-sponsoring the first piece of pro-life legislation to pass the House in 12 years." His email: david.hale56@yahoo.com

Larry D. Brown (R), who is running for State Representative in the 95th District against Greg Stumbo

Chris Fugate, Pastor of Gospellight BaptistChurch, running For State Representative 84th District, Brother of Jeff Fugate


Alrighty, now let me remind you of what Bevin said in that first video:

"...since 1954, do you know how many churches have lost their tax exempt status because of political speeches from preaching that has occurred? [audience: Zero, Praise God!] - Zero! The reality is it is an absolute paper tiger and there is no reason to fear it there is no reason to be silent, and if you have been exhorted and encouraged to have this boldness and this spirit, to be unapologetic, then I would encourage you to do it."


Governor Bevin's press secretary claims that "The Governor simply encouraged the ministers to preach boldly."  Hogwash! The Johnson Amendment says:

Under the Internal Revenue Code, all section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office. Contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position (verbal or written) made on behalf of the organization in favor of or in opposition to any candidate for public office clearly violate the prohibition against political campaign activity.  Violating this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status and the imposition of certain excise taxes. 

Certain activities or expenditures may not be prohibited depending on the facts and circumstances.  For example, certain voter education activities (including presenting public forums and publishing voter education guides) conducted in a non-partisan manner do not constitute prohibited political campaign activity. In addition, other activities intended to encourage people to participate in the electoral process, such as voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives, would not be prohibited political campaign activity if conducted in a non-partisan manner.

On the other hand, voter education or registration activities with evidence of bias that (a) would favor one candidate over another; (b) oppose a candidate in some manner; or (c) have the effect of favoring a candidate or group of candidates, will constitute prohibited participation or intervention.

So, when the governor tells them to ignore the Johnson Amendment, what he's really telling them is "Go forth my children, and preach Republican politics, so that we may flipith the House, and I may have full control over the Legislature!" And what did they respond with? "Amen! Heil Bevin!"

P.S. Thank you to everyone who has covered this video in their blogs and articles! Please keep sharing, we need to make sure this behavior is exposed! 

Kentucky HEALTH 1115 Medicaid Waiver

I have officially sent in my comments to the Federal Government, on Bloodshed Bevin's Kentucky HEALTH medicaid waiver. The comment period is open until October 8, 2016 @5pm. Please go to this link to enter your comments against the waiver. I'll post my comments here, please feel free to use them as a guide for your own. Let's nip this waiver in the bud, y'all!

Kentuckians Against Matt Bevin stands firmly in opposition of this waiver. Matt Bevin ran for Governor on a platform which included the repeal of Medicaid expansion in Kentucky. Since roughly 72% of Kentuckians prefer to keep the expansion as is, he can't repeal it outright. Instead, he's purposely submitted a plan which is likely to be rejected so that he can repeal the expansion, then blame it on the Obama administration. Bevin has already laid the groundwork by insisting that it's now in CMS's hands, and saying that there will be no expansion in KY if his plan is rejected. On the off chance his plan is approved, it'll still be a win, because it's a plan that appeals to his far right base, while simultaneously eliminating or reducing access for tens of thousands of Medicaid recipients. First and foremost, this waiver is designed to help Matt Bevin further his political career and secure a future presidential bid. Medicaid is supposed to help low-income Americans access much needed healthcare, not help an ideological zealot further his political career.

KY Medicaid expansion created more than 12,000 jobs in 2014, and is estimated to create more than 40,000 by 2021, each with an average salary of about $41,000. KY hospitals saved $1.15 billion in uncompensated care costs in the first 3/4 of 2014 alone. According to my research, the move to MCOs has saved the Commonwealth $1.3 billion, and is estimated to have a positive cumulative fiscal impact $819.6 million by 2021. Along with all the previously mentioned financial benefits, states have realized further savings by transitioning pre-ACA medicaid eligible individuals (of which the state pays 30% of costs) to new expansion eligibility categories (of which the state currently pays 0 costs, and will transition to paying a maximum of 10% of costs.) Bevin claims that the expansion is financially unsustainable, however, according to the available data, that's simply untrue.

Another Claim Bevin has made, is that health outcomes for the expansion population have not changed. That claim is also untrue. Under expanded Medicaid, there've been significant reductions in skipping meds due to cost, a 40% reduction in unmet medical need due to cost, an increase in low-income adults visiting healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment, as well as a larger share of individuals with a PCP than those in non-expansion states. The KY expansion population utilize common preventive care services , such as medication monitoring and cholesterol screenings, at much higher rates than traditional Medicaid recipients. We have a large increase in chronically ill individuals receiving regular care, a significant increase in outpatient utilization & preventive care, reductions in ED use, and improvements in healthcare quality & self reported health. Obviously, Medicaid expansion has had a positive impact on the health outcomes of Expansion eligible individuals. As one of the most chronically ill and poorest populations, before Expanded Medicaid, we cannot afford to go backwards. If Bevin's Expansion waiver is approved, that's exactly where we'll go.

According to the waiver application, Kentucky HEALTH would result in 17,000 recipients losing coverage in year 1, and nearly 86k by year 5. However, it would likely cause many more to lose coverage, and cause a huge reduction in utilization and quality of care for the remaining expansion population. An expansion family of four makes up to $33,465/year, while an expansion individual makes up to $16,242/year. Premiums of $1 - 37.50/month may sound inconsequential to the Governor, however it's a pretty penny for those of us living in poverty. These premiums will force vulnerable people to have to choose between putting food on the table, or paying for healthcare. Given the choice, healthcare always takes a backseat to feeding yourself or your family. When recipients fail to pay premiums, they'll be locked out of their plan for 6-months. How does cutting off access to care improve health outcomes? Hint: it doesn't. Uninsured adults are more likely to die prematurely than are insured adults. Cutting off access to healthcare puts lives in danger, and not just their own, but their children's as well. Research shows that when parents lose their healthcare their children lose access too, regardless of enrollment status. These premiums, and subsequent lock-out periods, present a real danger to the health, well-being, and lives of everyday Kentuckians whose only crime is being poor. It's a dangerous precedent to set for something that's supposedly a safety net. If one ultimately decides the premiums are acceptable, we must then question who collects them. Do providers collect them? MCOs? The state? How do we fund the administrative costs to collect them? How do recipients pay them? Will they need access to a bank account or the internet? Many people in poverty don't have access to bank accounts, or a reliable source of internet. How will they make premium collection accessible enough to prevent interference with recipients access to care? This administration still hasn't ensured Benefind is working properly, I have serious qualms about their ability to implement a working premium collection system. Sounds like a lot of red-tape and extra cost, for essentially very little benefit, other than forcing Medicaid recipients off of Medicaid.

Next, they seek to force recipients to volunteer or work for 20hrs/week. Most of the expansion population already works, they just lack a living wage or decent benefits. That could be fixed by increasing minimum wage, however Bevin has resisted and repealed every such measure in our state. It's almost as if he doesn't actually care about workers, so much as he cares about corporate profit. There has been concern expressed by KY non-profits that they don't have the money or resources to waste on training people who're only volunteering to access healthcare. I live in SE KY, where we don't have an abundance of jobs or volunteer opportunities; we essentially live in a jobs desert. How are the Medicaid recipients in SE KY, and other similarly poor & vulnerable areas, supposed to participate in a jobs program without jobs available? Not to mention the great distances we must travel to get anywhere; twenty minutes to a grocery store, sixty to a decent one. Many people in poverty, especially those in my area, lack reliable transportation. You cannot work 20hr/week without a means to get there, which brings me to my next issue, the elimination of NEMT. In my county, NEMT is Daniel Boone Transit. In addition to getting people to doctor appointments, you can pay a fee to get you other places, such as the aforementioned grocery store. For many people in Rural parts of the state, NEMT is the only form of reliable transportation available to them. How do you get to the doctor, pharmacy, or dentist if you don't have transportation available to do so? This provision will be devastating to the health and well-being of many in my area, and other rural parts of the state, where public transit is not available.

One of the most widely discussed provisions of this waiver, is the making dental & vision into a "reward." Dental & vision are important to your overall health and well-being. Diabetes, heart disease, and glaucoma are just a few of the diseases that are often diagnosed and monitored by dentists and ophthalmologists. Healthy teeth and good glasses can not only improve your overall health and quality of life, but they can also be the difference between a low and high paying job. To purport that these benefits, health & otherwise, should be a "reward" is just absurd! Matt Bevin should be ashamed for hawking this scheme. Most reward programs sit unused, because they're too complicated and because most people are unaware of them, or how to utilize them. This "reward" program is complicated in structure, with minimum benefits & maximum penalties. Many of the rewards require access to the internet, something that's not as easy to come by in rural areas, where internet is unreliable and cell phone service is almost non-existent. The penalties for non-emergency usage of the ED are stiff, starting at $25 and quickly increasing to $75, for something that's ultimately decided on the whim of whoever is working triage at the ER that day. The costs of basic dental & vision far outweigh what can be earned through the "reward" program. Factor in lockouts from your "rewards" due to failure to pay premiums, and the program is essentially worthless. Lastly, I'd like to address the condescending manner with which Matt Bevin refers to this "reward" program, saying it's "a mix of carrots and sticks." The fact that he would speak about his constituents in such a derogatory manner, as though we're nothing but animals, should give you all the insight into this so-called rewards program, nay this entire waiver, that you need.

In addition to the "rewards" account, this plan is further complicated by the addition of a $1000, fully funded, deductible account. You must use the deductible account to get a better understanding of commercial insurance. How that extra red tape is supposed to reduce poverty is beyond me. It's just another one of those provisions added to "educate" the ignorant Medicaid recipients. Speaking of complicated, they've eliminated retroactive coverage, and given you a specific date at the end of the year by which you must re-enroll or you'll be locked out of your coverage. They really love those lock-out periods! After you're locked out, you must re-enroll within 3-months, or you'll be forces to wait another 6-months to re-enroll, or take a health or financial literacy course. That will particularly complicated for those Medicaid recipients who happen to be illiterate, dyslexic, or suffering from other learning impairments!

For those Medicaid recipients who're employed at a place that offers sub-par employer-sponsored health insurance plans, they will be forced to sign up for their employer-sponsored plans. The waiver claims that the state will send the recipients monies to cover their employer-sponsored insurance, minus the aforementioned Medicaid premium payments, which they can then use pay use to pay themselves back for their premium payments made to their employer-sponsored plans. If anything isn't covered under their employer plan, that is under Kentucky HEALTH, Medicaid will cover the uncovered service. If this sounds really complicated and unnecessarily cumbersome, that's because it is! There's no evidence to show how or if this would work, and I'm banking on it wouldn't. This is designed to push recipients off of Medicaid, plain and simple!

Kentucky HEALTH is a misnomer, more like Kentucky unHEALTH. Everything about this plan is designed to reduce access, eliminate access, and create red-tape and hoops. The point of Medicaid is to help low-income individuals become healthy enough to work, get a higher paying job, and eventually transition off this invaluable safety-net service. Kentucky HEALTH puts so many barriers in place that it will keep people sick, and in poverty. This plan is bad for KY, bad for health, and bad for poverty. If you care about our health and well-being, you'll just say no to Kentucky HEALTH. Thank you. 

New Blog

Well, I've officially started a blog. I don't know how well I will keep up with it, but I'll try to post KAMB related stuff here. I also started a YouTube channel. You can check out the very first video, below.

Matt "Bloodshed" Bevin has been gathering Preachers at the Governor's Mansion, along with some Republican politicians. You'll need to turn up the volume really loud to hear this, I've gone ahead and transcribed the first part.

"...since 1954, do you know how many churches have lost their tax exempt status because of political speeches from preaching that has occurred? [audience: Zero, Praise God!] - Zero! The reality is it is an absolute paper tiger and there is no reason to fear it there is no reason to be silent, and if you have been exhorted and encouraged to have this boldness and this spirit, to be unapologetic, then I would encourage you to do it."

There it is folks, our sitting governor, encouraging preachers & pastors to preach politics from the pulpit, and you can bet their god is Republican!

He followed that rousing speech with some other bits:
"...have that boldness"
"...be committed"
"...now is the time"

He talked about "Ambrose of Milan" which included homophobia and mass murder!

"...call out any that stands between you and what is right"
"...intestinal fortitude"
"...be willing to call out the emperors"
"...if we don't sound the trumpet, it's on us the watchmen"

Scary stuff folks! Share this far and wide! This is not the first time he's gathered pastors from across the Commonwealth, but it is the first time I've seen video from it! This type of behavior needs to be exposed!