Councilwoman, councilman targeted in anonymous election-eve document attack
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, 2 a.m. — A stack of manila envelopes addressed to members of the Bardstown City Council and the media were left at the doorstep of the city council chambers by an unknown person with one apparent goal — to affect the outcome of next Tuesday’s city council election.
Each envelope contained a 25-page dossier that — with the exception of one page — chronicled Councilwoman Kecia Copeland’s past.
Just one of the 25 pages of documents anonymously left at the door of the city council chambers concerned longtime councilman Francis Lydian. Councilwoman Kecia Copeland was the target of the rest.
The exception was a blurry photocopy of a 16-year-old document regarding an unemployment insurance lien addressed to Francis Lydian dba Lydian Body Shop.
The rest of the packet contained a variety of documents regarding Copeland, including fire department records and court records — traffic tickets, small claims and other court documents — dating back to 1996.
After the council meeting — and after hearing interim city police chief McKenzie Mattingly call for an investigation of her use of her city-issued iPad — Copeland characterized the sheath of papers as records that are not a reflection on how she has served the city the past two years as councilwoman.
“This is my personal history,” Copeland said of the records. “What does my personal history have to do with me doing my job as a city councilwoman?”
Copeland said she didn’t believe Mayor John Royalty’s disclaimer during the meeting that he had no knowledge of the information in the packets or who left them there. City Clerk Barbie Bryant said she found the stack of envelopes outside the council chambers door when she arrived to prepare the room for the meeting. The envelopes were addressed to each member of the council as well as the mayor and media.
“I’ve been attacked for almost two years, that’s a fact,” she said. “And then you (Royalty) bring this in for the council to look at?
“This is retaliation at its best,” she said. “We’re a couple days out from the election … and I’m flabbergasted by this.”
“People make mistakes, but this is malicious,” she said. “This is heinous.”
Copeland said the packet was clearly one in a string of attacks she’s weathered during her time on the council.
“For two years I have been disrespected on all levels, and I have had to remain professional at all times,” she said. “And I’m being attacked all over again.”
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