A former employee in Gov. Matt Bevin’s office has accused a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives of sending her inappropriate text messages.
The former Bevin employee, 28-year-old Jordan Morgan, said she received the messages from 32-year-old State Rep. Michael Meredith, R-Oakland, who has represented the 19th House District, which includes Edmonson and part of Warren County, since 2011.
Morgan, the daughter of Republican State Rep. C. Wesley Morgan, of Richmond, told the Herald-Leader the messages “should not have come from a married man.”
Meredith was one of four Republican lawmakers who secretly settled allegations of sexual harassment made this fall by a legislative employee.
Morgan supplied the Herald-Leader with some of the inappropriate texts, where Meredith wrote:
“Plus you are like six foot tall with jet black hair and high heels and can probably find some way to persuade anyone about anything if force is needed lol.”
Morgan answered: “Haha yeah right! I’m only 5’10 but probably 6’ in heels lol.”
Meredith responded: “5’10 can probably get anything I need done!”
She replied: “Haha!”
Meredith then wrote, “I’m just glad there are some good, smart, conservative young people working up here now. Doesn’t hurt that at least one of em is good looking too lol!”
Morgan also gave the Lexington newspaper an image of a Facebook message Meredith sent her on Nov. 4, 2015, in which he asked “Where’d you go beauty?”
Morgan worked in the governor’s office for 18 months, and also worked on Gov. Bevin’s gubernatorial campaign before becoming an Assistant Commonwealth Attorney in Boone County. She was not one of the women involved in the four confidential sexual harassment settlements that resulted in GOP Speaker of the House Jeff Hoover resigning his leadership post.
Gov. Bevin has called for all four politicians who secretly settled the harassment claims, Hoover, Meredith, Brian Linder, of Dry Ridge, and Jim DeCesare, of Bowling Green, to relinquish their legislative seats. None of the four, though, have resigned.
Meredith is a graduate of Edmonson County High School and a 2007 graduate of Western Kentucky University.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
