Daniel Cameron On Abortion
Cameron Said He Supported Kentucky’s Law, Which Banned Abortion In Cases Of Rape Or Incest
2023: Cameron Said He Personally Supported Kentucky’s Abortion Ban As It Was Written, Which Had No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest
April 2023: Daniel Cameron Promised To Defend Kentucky’s Abortion Ban As Is, Without A Rape Or Incest Exception. According to WKYT, “ANCHOR: ‘Do you fully support Kentucky’s near-total ban on abortion, which does not have exceptions for rape or incest? Lawmakers talked about considering some exceptions in this session. They ended up ultimately not doing that.’ CAMERON: ‘Well, I support the Human Life Protection Act. And of course, Bill, as you know, we’ve been defending that law since last August. And I’m going to continue to defend and support that law. Look, Makenze and I have a 15-month-old at home. This issue is very personal and dear to us. And so I firmly believe and we as a couple got to see Theodore at six weeks. And so, again, I’m going to continue to support and defend the Human Life Protection Act and continue the work that we’ve done in court to make sure that law stays intact.’ ANCHOR: ‘And that does mean no exceptions?’ CAMERON: ‘Well, there is an exception, obviously, for the life of the mother. And I’m going to continue to support that Human Life Protection Act.’” [WKYT, 4/23/23]
Cameron Said, “I’m Not Going To Waver In My Position” On Kentucky’s Abortion Ban And Said He Would “Continue To Defend The Law As Is” Without A Rape Or Incest Exception. According to LEX18 via YouTube, “REPORTER: ‘Where do you stand on that? Would you support those changes or would you ask the legislature not to do that?’ CAMERON: ‘Look, Caroline, I understand that this is a very sensitive issue, a very sensitive topic that a lot of households across Kentucky have conversations about. But I’m not going to waver in my position on this. And we’re going to continue to defend the law as is and will continue to work with our legislature on the Human Life Protection Act. It’s obviously being enforced right now. And because of it there, the abortion facilities have been closed since last August.’” [LEX18 via YouTube, 4/13/23]
2022: Cameron Said He Personally Supported Kentucky’s Trigger Law, Which Had No Exceptions For Rape Or Incest. According to the Associated Press, “Kentucky’s trigger law includes no exceptions for rape or incest victims. Asked Monday if he personally supports adding those exceptions, Cameron replied: ‘I support what the Human Life Protection Act says’ — a reference to the trigger law. He then expressed support for the existing exception to save the life of a pregnant woman.” [Associated Press, 11/28/22]
Cameron Defended Kentucky’s Abortion Ban In Court
Cameron Celebrated The Dismissal Of A Federal Case Challenging Kentucky’s Anti-Abortion Law. According to Cameron’s Press Release, “Attorney General Cameron announces that a federal court has dismissed the challenge to House Bill 3—the Humanity in Healthcare Act—brought by Planned Parenthood and EMW Women’s Surgical Center. One of the most comprehensive pieces of pro-life legislation in the Commonwealth’s history, the Humanity in Healthcare Act is now fully in force and is the law of Kentucky. The dismissal of the challenge to HB 3 follows a ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. The Court ordered that the district court’s rulings questioning HB 3’s legality are no longer binding and lifted the district court’s injunction preventing full enforcement of the law. General Cameron released the following statement: ‘Our laws should reflect our values. Kentuckians across the Commonwealth have repeatedly sent pro-life representatives to Frankfort to protect the health and safety of mothers and unborn children. That’s exactly what the General Assembly did in 2022 with House Bill 3. I always have and always will stand strong in defense of our pro-life legislation. And because of my office’s work, every word of the Humanity in Healthcare Act is now law.’” [Daniel Cameron Press Release, 6/16/23]
- The So-Called “Heartbeat” Law Banned Abortion At Around Six Weeks Of Pregnancy. According to CNN, “The Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled Thursday that a lower court wrongfully stopped the enforcement of two state abortion laws, according to court documents. The two measures are Kentucky’s so-called trigger law banning the procedure and a separate “heartbeat” law restricting abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy. [CNN, 2/16/23]
The Kentucky Supreme Court Sided With Cameron And Allowed The State’s Trigger Law And Heartbeat Law To Remain In Place. According to CNN, “The Supreme Court of Kentucky ruled Thursday that a lower court wrongfully stopped the enforcement of two state abortion laws, according to court documents. The two measures are Kentucky’s so-called trigger law banning the procedure and a separate “heartbeat” law restricting abortions at around six weeks of pregnancy. Siding with Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron, Justice Debra Hembree Lambert asserted in her opinion that the circuit court ‘abused its discretion by granting abortion provider’s motion for a temporary injunction.’” [CNN, 2/16/23]
Cameron Celebrated His Defense Of Anti-Abortion Laws From Legal Challenges In 2022. According to Cameron’s Twitter, “This year, the Office of the Solicitor General defended Kentucky’s laws from legal challenges, including Marsy’s Law, Casey’s Law, the Heartbeat Bill, Human Life Protection Act, and many others. #2022YearInReview” [Twitter, @kyoag, 12/27/22]
Cameron Tried To Weaponize The COVID-19 Pandemic To Ban Abortion
Cameron Fought To Halt Abortions During The Pandemic
2020: Cameron Tried To Halt Abortions During The Pandemic, Calling Them “Elective” Medical Procedures. According to NARAL, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron issued a statement this morning calling on the Acting Secretary for the Cabinet of Health and Family Services to certify that abortion providers in Kentucky are violating the ban on ‘elective’ medical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing to provide abortion care.” [NARAL, 3/27/20]
- 2020: Beshear Vetoed Legislation Which Would Have Given Cameron The Authority To Regulate Abortion Clinics Amid COVID-19. According to WDRB, “Gov. Andy Beshear on Friday vetoed legislation that would have given Attorney General Daniel Cameron new authority to regulate abortion clinics. While Cameron called the move ‘reprehensible,’ Beshear’s action was cheered by abortion rights groups. Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 9 on April 15, the final day of the 2020 Kentucky General Assembly. Known as the Born-Alive Infant Protection Act, it would require state doctors to provide life-saving care to any infant born alive, including after a failed abortion attempt. The legislation also would have given Cameron, a Republican and abortion rights opponent, the power to suspend abortions as an elective procedure during the novel coronavirus outbreak.” [WDRB, 4/24/20]
Cameron Joined Coordinated Efforts Among Conservative Attorneys General To Restrict Reproductive Rights
Cameron Supported States Having Access To Reproductive Health Information For Criminal Proceedings
June 2023: Cameron Signed Onto A Letter Opposing A Rule Blocking State Officials From Obtaining Information On Residents’ Reproductive Health Care Obtained Outside The State For Criminal Proceedings. According to The Louisville Courier-Journal, “Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron signed onto a letter last month opposing a proposed federal privacy rule that would block state officials from obtaining information on residents’ reproductive health care services obtained outside the state. Cameron was one of 19 Republican attorneys general who signed onto the June 16 letter, opposing the change proposed in April by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to amend HIPAA patient privacy rules. The rule change would block state authorities from obtaining protected information about reproductive health care services obtained lawfully out of state ‘for criminal, civil, or administrative investigations or proceedings’ against those individuals or regulated entities.” [Louisville Courier Journal, 7/17/23]
- Services Would Include Those Related To Pregnancy, Contraception, Fertility, Miscarriage, And Abortion. According to The Louisville Courier-Journal, “Such protected patient information on reproductive health care services would include, but not be limited to, those related to pregnancy, contraception, fertility, prenatal care, miscarriage management and abortion.” [Louisville Courier-Journal, 7/17/23]
Lexington Herald-Leader: “Cameron Wants To Retain The Option To Access The Medical Information Of Kentuckians Who Leave The State For Reproductive Health Care Services.” According to The Lexington Herald-Leader, “Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron wants to retain the option to access the medical information of Kentuckians who leave the state for reproductive health care services, such as abortion and gender-affirming health care. Cameron joined 18 Republican state attorneys general in co-signing a June 16 letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that its rule change proposal to shield this patient information from officials in states that have banned or criminalized abortion and gender-affirming health care would ‘unlawfully interfere with states’ authority to enforce their laws and does not serve any legitimate need.’” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 7/19/23]
Cameron Supported Efforts To Ban Mifepristone And Condemned The Mail Distribution Of Abortion Pills
Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief Urging The Supreme Court To Deny The FDA’s Request To Stay A Ruling Banning Mifepristone. According to Cameron’s Press Release, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron today joined 21 states in filing an amicus brief, urging the Supreme Court of the United States to protect the right of each state to regulate abortion. ‘After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Biden Administration directed the FDA to make abortion-inducing medication ‘as widely accessible as possible,’ said Attorney General Cameron. ‘We joined this amicus brief to push back against this blatant act of federal overreach by President Biden and to protect the authority granted to Kentucky’s elected representatives to regulate abortion in the Commonwealth.’ The attorneys general have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to deny the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and a drug manufacturer’s requests to stay a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which limited the circumstances in which mifepristone is approved for use. The FDA had previously approved the distribution of mifepristone for “the medical termination of intrauterine pregnancy” through 70 days pregnancy.” [Cameron Press Release, 4/18/23]
Cameron Signed A Letter To Walgreens And CVS Condemning Their Plans To Distribute Abortion Pills Through The Mail. According to The Hill, “Twenty Republican state attorneys general sent a letter to U.S-based pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS on Wednesday, telling both companies their plans to distribute abortion pills through the mail are ‘both unsafe and illegal.’ In the letter, the coalition wrote that federal law prohibits anyone from using the mail to send or receive any drug that will ‘be used or applied for producing abortion,’ referring to the Comstock Act of 1873. […] The letter was composed and signed by 20 Republican attorneys general, led by Andrew Bailey of Missouri and including Ken Paxton of Texas, Steve Marshall of Alabama, Dave Yost of Ohio, Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia and Daniel Cameron of Kentucky.” [The Hill, 2/1/23]
Cameron Celebrated Walgreen’s Decision Not To Provide Medicated Abortion Access By Mail. [Twitter, @kyoag, 3/3/23]
Cameron Supported Other States’ Restrictive Abortion Bans
2023: Cameron Supported Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban
April 2023: Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief In Support Of Florida’s 15-Week Abortion Ban. According to Kentucky Today, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced on Wednesday that his office has joined 18 other states in filing an amicus, or friend of the court, brief before the Supreme Court of Florida, supporting the constitutionality of a Florida law banning abortions after 15 weeks.” [Kentucky Today, 4/12/23]
2023: Cameron Supported South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Ban
March 2022: Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief In Support Of South Carolina’s Fetal Heartbeat Abortion Ban. According to the Office of the Alabama Attorney General, “Attorney General Steve Marshall led a 21-state amicus brief filed today in support of South Carolina’s one-year-old Fetal Heartbeat and Protection from Abortion Act, which had been blocked by federal district and appeals courts. Attorney General Marshall filed the amicus brief in Planned Parenthood South Atlantic v. Wilson before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Tuesday. The South Carolina abortion law, which was enacted on February 18, 2021, was enjoined by a federal district judge on March 19, 2021, and the injunction was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on February 22, 2022.” [Office of the Alabama Attorney General, 3/15/22; Amicus Brief, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, et al., v. Alan Wilson, et al., United States Court Of Appeals For The Fourth Circuit, filed 3/15/22]
2021: Cameron Supported Tennessee’s Anti-Abortion Law
April 2021: Cameron Filed An Amicus Brief Asking The U.S. Supreme Court To Allow Tennessee To Enforce its Abortion Waiting-Period Law. According to the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron led a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to allow Tennessee to enforce its abortion waiting-period law while a lower court reviews the case. After the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit declined to stay a District Court’s ruling invalidating Tennessee’s abortion waiting-period law, Tennessee asked the full appellate court to hear the case, and the court agreed to do so. Since then, Tennessee has asked the U. S. Supreme Court to permit its law to take effect while the Sixth Circuit considers the case. The coalition’s brief supports Tennessee’s request […] In their brief, the coalition argues that many states have adopted waiting-period laws since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Pennsylvania’s abortion waiting-period law in Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey nearly 30 years ago. By prohibiting Tennessee from enforcing its law, the Sixth Circuit’s decision runs contrary to that precedent and threatens the legitimacy of numerous waiting-period laws in other states. The brief also contends that the Sixth Circuit’s ruling disrupts the delicate balance of power between federal and state governments and negates Tennessee’s sovereign power to enact reasonable measures regulating abortion.” [Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, 4/16/23]; Amicus Brief, Herbert H. Slatery, III, et al., v. Bristol Regional Women’s Center, P.C., et al., Supreme Court Of The United States, announced 4/16/21]
2020: Cameron Supported A Louisiana Requirement That Abortion Doctors Have Hospital Admitting Privileges
January 2020: Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief In June Medical Services Supporting A Louisiana Requirement That Abortion Doctors Have Hospital Admitting Privileges. According to the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron today joined 20 states in filing an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in June Medical Services, LLC v. Dr. Rebekah Gee. The case centers on a Louisiana law that protects women’s health by requiring abortion doctors to have admitting privileges at a local hospital in the event of an emergency or complication resulting from the procedure. The challenge to this health and safety-based regulation is brought by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of a Louisiana abortion clinic and two abortion doctors. In the amicus brief, Attorney General Cameron joins other states in arguing that it is imperative for states to make and enforce the laws and regulations regarding health and safety that govern abortion procedures.” [Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, 1/3/20]
Cameron Supported Religious Groups Refusing To Provide Abortion Coverage
Cameron Supported Religious Groups That Refused To Provide Abortion Coverage
June 2021: Daniel Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief In Opposition To The Idea That Religious Groups Should Provide Employees With Abortion Coverage. According to the Office of the Alabama Attorney General, “Attorney General Steve Marshall is calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to protect the First Amendment rights of churches and other religious organizations from laws that force them to pay for abortions, in direct conflict with these institutions’ religious beliefs. […] Attorney General Marshall and attorneys general from 20 other states filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany v. Lacewell over the State of New York’s mandate that religious groups must provide employees abortion coverage. […] Alabama joined Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia in filing the amicus on May 28, 2021.” [Office of the Alabama Attorney General, 6/3/21]
Cameron Opposed Roe v. Wade
Cameron Supported Mississippi’s Attempt To Overturn Roe v. Wade
July 2021: Daniel Cameron Filed An Amicus Brief In Support Of Mississippi In The Dobbs Case. According to the Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron today continued his fight for the unborn by joining a coalition of 24 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief before the United States Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The case challenges the constitutionality of a Mississippi law prohibiting abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, and the attorneys general argue that the challenge presents the Supreme Court with the opportunity to reconsider and overturn the legal precedent establishing the alleged right to abortion, including Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey.” [Office of the Kentucky Attorney General, 7/30/21; Amicus Brief, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Supreme Court Of The United States, announced 7/30/21]
Cameron Celebrated The Dobbs Decision, Which Reversed Roe V. Wade
June 2022: The Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade
June 24, 2022: The Supreme Court Overturned Roe v. Wade. According to the New York Times, “The Supreme Court on Friday overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years in a decision that will transform American life, reshape the nation’s politics and lead to all but total bans on the procedure in about half of the states.” [New York Times, 6/24/22]
Cameron Celebrated The Reversal Of Roe v. Wade
Cameron Celebrated The One Year Anniversary Of Dobbs And Said Kentuckians Should “Recommit Ourselves To Building A Culture Of Life.” According to Cameron’s Twitter, “On the first anniversary of the Dobbs decision, let’s recommit ourselves to building a culture of life and supporting new mothers. I’m proud of my record to defend Kentucky’s pro-life laws, and I’ll be proud to be a pro-life Governor.” [Twitter, @DanielCameronAG, 6/24/23]
Cameron Celebrated The Overturn Of Roe v. Wade On “Sanctity Of Life Day.” According to Cameron’s Twitter, “Nearly 7 months ago, #SCOTUS issued a landmark decision, overturning Roe v. Wade & returning the issue of abortion to states. As states deliberate over this issue, let us renew our commitment to protecting the unborn & defending the sanctity of life. #SanctityofLifeDay” [Twitter, @kyoag, 1/22/23]
Daniel Cameron On The 2020 Election
Cameron Supported A Lawsuit Challenging Pennsylvania’s Mail-In Ballots In The 2020 Election
Cameron Supported A Lawsuit Challenging Pennsylvania’s Mail-In Ballots In The 2020 Election
2020: Cameron Joined An Amicus Brief Supporting A Lawsuit Challenging Pennsylvania’s Mail-In Ballots. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, “Two days after former Vice President Joe Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 presidential election, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron joined other Republican AGs Monday in a lawsuit challenging mail-in ballots in Pennsylvania. Cameron signed an amicus brief supporting the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s lawsuit against the state Supreme Court’s decision last month to allow mail-in ballots that were postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrived in the mail by the following Friday.” [Louisville Courier-Journal, 11/9/20]
Cameron Embraced Trump After The January 6 Insurrection
Cameron Embraced Trump
October 2022: Cameron Accepted Trump’s Endorsement
October 2022: Cameron Thanked Trump For His Endorsement. According to Cameron’s Twitter, “Thank you 45 for your continued support of our campaign for Governor! Your ‘Complete and Total Endorsement’ is proof that this campaign has what it takes to build a coalition that not only wins the primary, but also the general election! #CameronforGovernor” [Twitter, @DanielCameronAG, 1/10/22]
2022: Cameron Endorsed Trump
2022: Cameron: “I Support Donald Trump” In The Republican Primary. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, “Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the only Republican in a crowded 2023 primary for governor who has the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, returned the favor Tuesday when he told reporters he supports the ex-president’s 2024 campaign to return to the White House. His endorsement came a couple of weeks after the U.S. House of Representatives committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol recommended the Justice Department bring criminal charges against Trump for his actions related to that insurrection. ‘Yes, I support Donald Trump in the (Republican) primary,’ Cameron said, though he noted GOP voters across the country will determine who their party’s eventual nominee for president that year will be and made it clear he’ll support whoever that nominee is.” [Louisville Courier-Journal, 1/3/23]
Daniel Cameron Backed School Choice
Cameron Supported Education Opportunity Accounts, Which Were Found Unconstitutional And Would Have Cost $125 Million
Cameron Supported Kentucky’s Education Opportunity Accounts
2021: Cameron Filed An Appeal To The Supreme Court To In Support Of A New Law Creating Education Opportunity Accounts. According to the Center Square, “Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron and a nonprofit law firm that backs school-choice measures have asked the state’s Supreme Court to take up a case where a Franklin County judge ruled a new state law creating educational opportunity accounts for families as unconstitutional. Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd ruled last month that House Bill 563, which the Kentucky General Assembly passed earlier this year, violated the constitution because it involved the use of tax dollars and private organizations.” [Center Square, 11/12/21]
The Kentucky Supreme Court Found Education Opportunity Accounts Unconstitutional
The Kentucky Supreme Court Struck Down Education Opportunity Accounts Saying They Were Unconstitutional. According to Spectrum News 1, “Kentucky’s so-called school choice program, which garnered controversy and a lengthy legal challenge, violates the state constitution, Kentucky’s Supreme Court ruled Thursday. House Bill 563, dubbed the Education Opportunity Account Act or the school choice bill, was ruled unconstitutional and struck down by the Kentucky Supreme Court in a unanimous decision affirming Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd’s ruling.” [Spectrum News 1, 12/15/22]
The Program Would Have Cost $125 Million
The Program Would Have Cost $125 Million. According to Louisville Public Media, “The Kentucky Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s new tax credit scholarship program is unconstitutional. All seven justices on the bench concurred, upholding the Franklin Circuit Court’s earlier ruling on the issue. […] The $125 million program never got off the ground because it almost immediately became the subject of a legal challenge from the Council for Better Education. A lower court judge sided with CBE in October 2021, ruling that the program was unconstitutional.” [Louisville Public Media, 12/15/22]
Daniel Cameron’s Handling Of Breonna Taylor’s Murder
Daniel Cameron Did Not Hold Police Accountable For Breonna Taylor’s Murder
Cameron Was The Prosecutor For Taylor’s Death
March 2020: Taylor Was Shot And Killed By Officers During An Apartment Raid
March 2020: Police Requested A “No-Knock” Search Warrant Of Taylor’s Apartment While Investigating Activities Of Her Ex-Boyfriend. According to ABC News, “Louisville Metro Police Department Detective Joshua Jaynes files a request for a ‘no-knock’ search warrant of Breonna Taylor’s home after investigating the activities of Jamarcus Glover, who was known to the police as a drug trafficker, according to the warrant. Glover is Taylor’s ex-boyfriend who, according to police, was using her address to mail drugs through the post office. Police note in the arrest warrant request that they verified with postal inspectors that Glover was receiving packages at Taylor’s address.” [ABC News, 11/17/20]
Officers Attempted To Batter Open Taylor’s Front Door Around Midnight. According to ABC News, “Minutes after midnight, as Breonna Taylor and her boyfriend Kenneth Walker are asleep inside their ground-floor apartment at the St. Anthony Gardens on Springfield Drive, there are knocks on the front door. Plainclothes Louisville Metro Police Department Officers Myles Cosgrove and Brett Hankison, and Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, use a battering ram to force open the green door with a gold No. 4 hanging on it, at which point police say they are met with a gunshot that strikes Mattingly in the thigh.” [ABC News, 11/17/20]
Taylor’s Boyfriend Fired One Shot At Officers Battering The Apartment Tour, Claiming He Thought They Were Intruders. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he believed intruders were breaking in and fired one shot from his legally owned handgun after officers used a battering ram to force open the apartment’s front door. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was struck in the femoral artery and he required emergency surgery.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
March 13, 2020: Taylor Was Shot And Killed By Police Officers Who Fired Off 32 Rounds. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency room technician, was fatally shot by Louisville Metro Police Department officers who attempted to execute a search warrant at her apartment in the early morning hours of March 13, 2020. Police believed Taylor was holding drugs and cash for her ex-boyfriend, a convicted drug trafficker. Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, said he believed intruders were breaking in and fired one shot from his legally owned handgun after officers used a battering ram to force open the apartment’s front door. Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly was struck in the femoral artery and he required emergency surgery. In turn, Mattingly and detectives Myles Cosgrove and Hankison fired a total of 32 rounds. Six shots from Mattingly and Cosgrove struck Taylor, with the fatal shot coming from Cosgrove.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
Cameron Was The Special Prosecutor For The Case
Cameron Became Special Prosecutor For The Case After The Jefferson Commonwealth Attorney Rescued Himself For A Conflict Of Interest Over His Attempted Murder Charge Against Taylor’s Boyfriend. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “After Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Wine recused himself from the criminal investigation into Taylor’s death – citing a conflict of interest because he was, at the time, pursuing an attempted murder charge against Walker – Cameron’s office became the special prosecutor for the case.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
Cameron Did Not Charge The Officers For Taylor’s Death
Cameron Did Not Charge Three Officers, Claiming They Were “Justified” In Shooting. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “At a September 2020 press conference, Cameron said Mattingly and Cosgrove would not be charged because they were ‘justified’ in returning fire after Walker’s initial shot.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
A Fourth Officer Was Indicted Only For Wanton Endangerment For Shots Fired Into A Neighboring Apartment. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “Hankison, however, was indicted for three counts of first-degree wanton endangerment for rounds fired through a covered patio door that penetrated a neighboring apartment with three people inside.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
The Officers Were Later Federally Indicted
The Justice Department Charged The Four Officers With Civil Rights Offense, Unconstitutional Use Of Force, Obstruction, And Conspiracy. According to the Lexington Herald Leader, “Four current and former Louisville police officers have been arrested for their roles in a botched search warrant that was executed at the home of Breonna Taylor and resulted in her death. Kelly Goodlett, Joshua Jaynes, Kyle Meany and Brett Hankison face federal charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Thursday morning. The officers were charged with civil rights offenses, unconstitutional use of force, obstruction and conspiracy, Garland said.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/8/22]
Cameron Faced Widespread Criticism For His Handling Of The Case
Civil Rights Groups Called For Cameron’s Impeachment
The Louisville NAACP Called For Cameron’s Resignation Or Impeachment. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, “Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron should resign immediately, the Louisville NAACP announced Friday, ‘for failing to conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the fatal police shooting of Breonna Taylor.’ If the first-term Republican refuses to step down, the group said it will call on Kentucky’s Republican-heavy legislature to impeach him.” [Louisville Courier-Journal, 9/30/22]
The NAACP Said Cameron’s State Investigation Showed “Insufficiency” And “An Absence Of An Understanding Of The Commonwealth’s Criminal Laws.” According to the Louisville Courier-Journal, ‘The recent federal indictments of four Louisville Metro Police officers involved in the Breonna Taylor killing has highlighted, demonstrated, and proven the insufficiency of the state investigation led by the Attorney General of the Commonwealth and an absence of an understanding of the Commonwealth’s criminal laws,’ the NAACP said in a press release.” [Louisville Courier-Journal, 9/30/22]
Taylor’s Family Said Cameron Failed To Get Justice For Breonna
Taylor’s Family Said Cameron Never Intended To Get Her Justice. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, “Critics, including Taylor’s family and attorneys, said the first-term attorney general never really intended to get justice for the slain 26-year-old Black woman.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
Celebrities Criticized Cameron’s Inaction
Beyoncé And Megan Thee Stallion Criticized Cameron’s Handling Of The Case. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, “Superstar Beyonce Knowles wrote an open letter to Cameron’s office urging him to charge the officers who shot Taylor, and rapper Megan Thee Stallion used her 2020 appearance on Saturday Night Live to lambaste his handling of the case.” [Lexington Herald-Leader, 8/5/22]
Daniel Cameron Opposed LGBTQ Rights
Cameron Opposed Efforts To Protect LGBTQ People From Discrimination
Cameron Supported LGBTQ Discrimination
Cameron Criticized Beshear Over A Clause Banning Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation After A Homophobic Foster Care Organization Ended Its Contract With The State. According to WFPL, “Kentucky Republicans are calling on Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear to renew a contract with a Baptist foster care and adoption organization that views homosexuality as sinful. Sunrise Children’s Services, which has worked with the state since the 1970s, refused to sign a new contract earlier this year because of a clause that bans discrimination based on sexual orientation. […] In a statement, Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron wrote that Beshear is forcing Sunrise to choose between providing services and abandoning religious beliefs.” [WFPL, 5/18/21]
Cameron Opposed Protections For LGBTQ Children
Cameron Opposed Protections For LGBTQ+ Children
Cameron Joined A Lawsuit Challenging The USDA’s Rule Prohibiting Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ Children. According to Spectrum News, “A group of Republican attorneys general, including Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, is suing the USDA over a policy prohibiting the discrimination of LGBTQ children. The policy specifically involves the national school lunch program. The Biden administration put the rule in place after a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that protected gay and trans rights in the workplace, although the Republican attorneys general said he’s misinterpreting the ruling.” [Spectrum News, 7/27/22]
Cameron Supported Efforts To Discriminate Against Transgender Girls In Sports
Cameron Joined A Lawsuit To Allow States To Bar Transgender Girls From Playing Sports Based On Their Gender Identity. According to WHAS 11, “Twenty attorney generals including Cameron sued the Biden administration in 2021, claiming the directives infringe on state’s rights to enact laws preventing students from participating in sports based on gender identity or requiring schools or businesses to provide bathrooms and showers to accommodate transgender people. […] ‘As young women across the Commonwealth work hard to compete in sports they love, we must work to preserve the integrity of women’s sports and ensure an even playing field for girls and young women,’ Cameron said. ‘The federal government’s flawed guidance in this area jeopardizes decades of progress in women’s sports, and I’m grateful that our lawsuit stopped the new guidance from moving forward.’” [WHAS 11, 7/18/22]
Cameron Criticized Beshear For Vetoing An Anti-Transgender Sports Bill. According to Cameron’s Twitter, “A few short weeks after celebrating International Women’s Day, the governor says no to protecting women’s sports. The legislature should override his veto of SB 83, and my office is ready to defend the law in court if it’s challenged. (1 of 4)” [Twitter, @kyoag, 4/7/22]