I have a theory. It involves many well-connected and well-respected individuals in my state, which is why it has been so difficult for this story to gain any traction. We could spend the next several years peeling that onion. But, we don’t have that much time. So let me cut to the chase.
One of Kentucky’s most powerful unions is Jefferson County’s teachers’ union.
Thesis: Dark money keeps Mitch McConnell and other deep state operatives in power in Kentucky, and leaders of the state’s most powerful teachers’ union are complicit (and have been for 20 years).
I had never heard of Dark Money or Deep State until I moved to Kentucky. Hell, I had never paid that much attention to politics at all. But when those of us who took a stand against corruption in our local school district found ourselves the target of attacks from those who should be our allies,
Jefferson County Teacher’s Association (JCTA) is a local affiliate of National Educators Association. It is one of only a handful of teachers unions in the state with a coveted collective bargaining agreement.
In 2001, Brent McKim was elected President of JCTA. His current term is up for reelection in January 2021. According to sources, shortly after becoming elected to the powerful organization’s top position, he was instrumental in removing term limits for his position. Twenty years later, he’s not only been able to remain in that seat, but he’s been able to maintain a tight grip on who serves in the organization’s leadership under him. None of those committees is more tightly controlled than the one that oversees the endorsements and money flow of the unions Political Action Committee (PAC), Better Schools Kentucky (BSK).
BSK is a 12-member panel, consisting of 10 representatives who must be nominated by McKim prior to their confirmation on the committee. The remaining two seats are the only two “At-large” positions that are elected by the membership.