Four takeaways on Randall Weddle investigation after big FBI raid

The FBI searched – and removed an extensive amount of material – from a home owned by former London Mayor Randall Weddle Tuesday morning, and here are a few things that can be said about the status of the FBI investigation.

The FBI raid was a big and unusual operation

A large number of FBI agents descended on a Laurel County home of former London Mayor Randall Weddle before dawn on Tuesday. WKYT in Lexington reported neighbors were taken aback by the number of agents. Throughout the day “dozens of FBI agents went in and out” of the house “while people stood and watched.”

LEX18 reported that the action lasted more than six hours with agents carrying boxes from the house to a green tent set up by the FBI. Video aired by both Lexington stations and other news outlets showed numerous FBI agents and vehicles including a large black van labeled “Evidence Response Team.”

The FBI released only a short statement to Kentucky Lantern about the matter. “FBI Louisville conducted court-authorized activity today off of Highway 552 in the London, KY area. There is no threat to public safety. Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I cannot comment further at this time,” said Katie Anderson, a public affairs specialist for FBI Louisville.

Topic of the investigation remains confidential

The Kentucky Lantern and other news outlets have acknowledged in their reports that they have little, if any, idea about what the FBI is investigating. But the actions of the FBI indicate this has been a major and prolonged investigation. Recall that on July 23 London Mayor Tracie Handley released a statement that federal authorities had contacted the city regarding an ongoing investigation. Handley said the city cooperated with the investigation and closed city hall the next day “to allow authorities to complete their work.” Handley declined to elaborate because “this investigation has been going on for months and remains active.”

The ongoing investigation is separate from pending criminal charges

The raid is a separate matter from Weddle’s March indictment by the Laurel County grand jury on four counts of making excessive campaign contributions to help Gov. Andy Beshear win reelection in 2023.

At the time of those allegedly illegal contributions, state and federal laws limited a person from giving more than $2,000 per election to a candidate for state office and no more than $15,000 per year to a state political party.

The indictment charges that Weddle shattered those limits by giving $18,000 to Beshear’s campaign, and $130,000 to the Kentucky Democratic Party in the names of his family members, friends and employees in a series of credit card transactions made during the final days of 2022.

Each of the four counts is a Class D felony which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Weddle has pleaded not guilty. That case is being prosecuted by Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman and is pending in Laurel Circuit Court.

Weddle has had no immediate comment

Guthrie True, a Frankfort attorney who represents Weddle, did not return phone messages from Kentucky Lantern on Tuesday or Wednesday. Carmine Iaccarino, a Lexington attorney who has represented Weddle in some civil lawsuits, said he knows nothing about the Tuesday raid beyond what he had seen in news reports and referred questions to True.

Weddle was elected mayor of London four years ago. His tenure was a tumultuous one that involved clashes with political critics and a city council that impeached him for allegedly exceeding his executive powers. The council voted to remove him from office last year. Weddle initially fought that action and won at the trial court level, but resigned as mayor in July when the Kentucky Court of Appeals reversed the trial court and reinstated the council’s decision.

That decision prompted Weddle to drop his combative tone. “While this is not the outcome I had hoped for, I respect the rule of law, the judge, and the decision of the court. …It is time to look ahead. My optimism for London’s future has never been stronger.”