BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FORT WRIGHT -- The Kenton County Republican Party is $60,000 richer thanks to former county Judge-executive Clyde Middleton.
Mr. Middleton, who resigned in February, has donated $60,000 of his unused campaign funds. The money, thought by party leaders to be the largest donation the county GOP has ever received, will be used primarily to help elect Republicans to courthouse offices this fall.
"I have worked for over 35 years to build the Kenton County Republican Party," Mr. Middleton said in a statement. "I think it was only right that I leave the money to them to help elect more Republicans to office, particularly the Kenton County Courthouse."
Mr. Middleton, a longtime state senator and county official who ran for Congress in the early 1960s, resigned amid a controversy surrounding the bidding process for the new $35 million county courthouse. He had planned to use the money to run his own re-election campaign this fall.
The donation puts the Kenton County Republican Party in strong financial position as Labor Day looms, the traditional start of the campaign season. By comparison, the Campbell County Republican Party has about $5,000 cash. The 4th District Republican Party, which covers 22 counties, has about $12,000.
Kenton County Republican chairman Greg Shumate, a Villa Hills attorney, said he was delighted with the contribution. He announced Tuesday the creation of a Republican Man and Woman of the Year Award in honor of Clyde and Mary Middleton.
The award will be given each year in December to an outstanding Republican, Mr. Shumate said.
"Clyde and his wife, Mary, were involved with the party when the county meetings could be held in a phone booth," he said. "Now the party is in its best shape ever and is poised to take over the fiscal court."
Mr. Shumate said Mr. Middleton's contribution was made in compliance with Kentucky election laws, which stipulate that the money could have been given to the county party, the state Republican Party or returned to contributors.
Kenton County Democratic leaders had called on Mr. Middleton to use the campaign money to help pay for a construction-bidding lawsuit against the county.
"I think the voters of Kenton County will be very upset that Mr. Middleton is giving this money to the local Republican Party," said Shirley Huelsmann of Fort Mitchell, chairwoman of the Kenton County Democratic Party. "By doing so, he and the Republican Party are basically thumbing their noses at the taxpayers."
The county is suing developer Corporex Cos. and its chairman, Bill Butler, to recoup an $850,000 settlement it paid to the two losers -- Wessels Construction and Development Corp. and Carroll Properties -- in the 1996 bidding process for a new county courthouse and parking garage.
Mr. Middleton resigned shortly after a meeting with Mr. Butler after construction bids were opened was revealed.
