UNION, Ky. — A Boone County judge has ousted all Union City Commissioners, essentially voiding the commission's entire November general election, after claims of election fraud.
The decision came late Friday from Boone County Circuit Judge Richard Brueggemann, who granted former Union City Commissioner Doug Bine's election contest.
In December, a Boone County judge denied a restraining order that would have prevented the newly elected commissioners from taking their seats Jan. 1. The attempt came after Bine filed a lawsuit contesting the results of the November election.
With Brueggemann's decision, all three newly elected commissioners — John Mefford, Brian Garner and Eric Dulaney — were ousted from their seats. This decision leaves Mayor Larry Solomon as the only member of the city commission.
Solomon will now hold a commission meeting Monday, Feb. 3 at 6:30 p.m., where he'll like begin the process of appointing new members to the commission as directed by the court. Bine has requested a new citywide election instead of appointments because due to scheduling, the appointments will continue until 2027.
Brueggemann agreed with Bine's lawsuit claims that hundreds of illegal votes in Boone County changed the outcome of the commissioner race, which he lost.
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Five candidates were running for four open seats. Bine lost by just 65 votes. His lawsuit claims more than 500 people illegally voted in Union Precinct 1 and Union Precinct 4.
"There could be as many as 800 invalid votes between Union 1 and 4... some parties contend 932 ballots were cast [more than the 800 ballots purportedly provided]... it could be equally assumed that all City ballots had been given to the 1,259 non-City voters... in any event... the disparity is greater than 599 votes," Brueggemann wrote in his judgment.
Bine's attorney, Steven Megerle, said after Brueggemann's ruling, he plans to reach out to the assistant attorney general nominee for the civil rights division and request a federal audit and investigation.
"I know President Trump, soon to be confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the incoming new leadership of the Justice Department are extremely sensitive to and will take matters of election integrity seriously, especially when there is a dereliction by election officials of their constitutional charge to hold fair and free elections," Megerle said.
