Former Secretary Accused Of Taking Kickbacks

A former Kentucky Personnel Cabinet secretary has been accused of taking more than $200,000 in kickbacks during his time in office.
  
The U.S. attorney's office in Lexington said Friday that a criminal complaint unsealed in federal court on Friday accuses Timothy M. Longmeyer of taking kickbacks from a private consulting company.
  
The prosecutor's office said in a news release that the kickbacks were given in exchange for the Democratic appointee's help in securing multimillion-dollar contracts for the consultant. The release said the consultant was allowed to work with insurance companies that provide health care coverage to state employees.
  
The release said Longmeyer used his position to persuade the insurance companies to hire the private consultant, and Longmeyer accepted payments from the consultant.
  
Longmeyer resigned from the cabinet on Sept. 30. He was appointed a deputy in state Attorney General Andy Beshear's office in December, but Beshear said Friday that Longmeyer resigned this week.