Andy Beshear staffer charged with DUI resigns

FRANKFORT, Ky. - Former State Rep. Don Pasley resigned as an executive adviser to Attorney General Andy Beshear Monday afternoon shortly after The Courier-Journal informed Beshear's office that Pasley was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol nearly six weeks ago.

Deputy Attorney General J. Michael Brown said in an interview Monday he knew nothing of the charge against Pasley, and office spokesman Terry Sebastian said he was sure Beshear also knew nothing of the charge.

“We will be getting with Mr. Pasley to the extent that’s allowable under our personnel rules, and review the facts and circumstances," Brown said. "But understand that the general takes any allegation of this type very, very seriously.”

Later Monday afternoon Sebastian said in a followup statement that Pasley "submitted his resignation and it was accepted. That's all I can say on the matter because it's a personnel issue."

Pasley did not return phone messages to his office or to his home phones on Monday.

Pasley, 54, is a Democrat from Winchester who served as a state representative from 2001-10 then later worked as commissioner of the Department of Rural and Municipal Aid in Gov. Steve Beshear's Transportation Cabinet.

Pasley was part of the initial staff of office appointments announced by Andy Beshear after his election last year as attorney general. Beshear said Pasley would head up an "initiatives office." State government's online database of government salaries shows Pasley's salary in his new job was $82,800 per year.

Records of Woodford District court show that he has pleaded not guilty to a March 31 arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol - first offense.

The citation says the alleged violation occurred at about 12:25 a.m. in Midway. The arresting officer said Pasley smelled of alcohol, was unsteady on his feet and said that "he had two whiskey drinks."

A preliminary breath test administered at the scene, but not admissible as evidence in the case, showed his alcohol level of 0.256 percent, court records show. In Kentucky, it is illegal to drive with an alcohol content of higher than 0.08 percent.

But Pasley refused to to take blood or breath tests that would have been admissible as evidence when he was taken to the Woodford County Detention Center, court records show. Because of that refusal his drivers license has been suspended.

Brown said Monday afternoon that Pasley "is entitled to the same presumption of innocence as anybody else. That being said, we expect everyone in the attorney general’s office to rise up to a pretty high standard of conduct...And we understand how serious the issue impaired driving is in the commonwealth of Kentucky."

Asked if Pasley needed to report the fact of the charge to his superiors after it happened, Brown said, "It's certainly a matter that ought to be self-revealed because of the position that we hold."

Pasley is the second appointee to leave Andy Beshear's staff in recent weeks. In March, Tim Longmeyer, Brown's predecessor as deputy attorney general, resigned days before he was charged by federal authorities with bribery. Longmeyer has since pleaded guilty to the charge.