FRANKFORT, Ky. — R.J. Palmer of Winchester was sworn in as a state senator Tuesday, then slapped with a campaign finance complaint.

        The state Republican Party claimed in a complaint to the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance that Mr. Palmer took an illegal corporate campaign contribution.

        That was based on an allegedly unpaid invoice to the firm of Mr. Palmer's campaign consultant, Dale Emmons, for $37,000 of television advertising.

        Republican Chairwoman Ellen Williams said TV stations have to be paid in advance for political advertising, so Mr. Emmons' firm or its media contractor must have laid out the money.

        “Money exchanged hands to get this kid on the air,” Ms. Williams said in a telephone interview. “If they didn't have the money in the bank, somebody made an illegal corporate contribution .... We're just assuming these TV stations did not run the ads without money up front.”

        Mr. Emmons, of Richmond, said the Palmer campaign “paid for everything they did.... There's nothing that happened in this campaign that's extraordinary or illegal or unethical.” Mr. Emmons said he did not know of the complaint until contacted by the Associated Press.

        Mr. Palmer, a Democrat and former state representative, defeated Republican Kelly Johnson of Mount Sterling by 1,072 votes out of 15,344 votes cast in a special election Sept. 18.

        Mr. Palmer replaces Democrat Dale Shrout of Mount Sterling, who resigned to take an appointment from Gov. Paul Patton as commissioner of motor vehicle regulation.

        The Senate district contains Bath, Clark, Estill, Fleming, Montgomery and Powell counties.

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