Former Bardstown mayor pleads not guilty during Thursday arraignment hearing

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017 — Former Bardstown Mayor John Royalty pleaded not guilty during his arraignment hearing in Nelson Circuit Court Thursday to charges of perjury, two counts of official misconduct and false swearing.

JOHN ROYALTY

The charges are part of the Oct. 4, 2017, indictment issued by a Nelson County grand jury naming Royalty in charges mostly related to evidence presented at his removal hearing in April. At the end of that hearing, the six Bardstown City Council members voted unanimously to remove Royalty as mayor.

Royalty told the Gazette Thursday he was not guilty of the charges against him, and that he was looking forward to proving his innocence in court.

Royalty’s attorney, Jason Floyd, said that his office will file a motion for a change of venue in this case.

BACKGROUND. Royalty was removed from office in April following a two-day hearing that included testimony from current and former city employees, as well as evidence gathered during a three-month investigation.

According to the original indictment, Royalty allegedly committed perjury during his April removal hearing. The two charges of alleged official misconduct refer to dates in October 2016 when Royalty allegedly asked a city employee to obtain city council members’ city-issued iPads under false pretenses and then ordered the employee to conduct an unauthorized review of a council member’s private emails.

The false swearing charge refers to alleged statements Royalty made during a Dec. 12, 2016, deposition connected with the former Bardstown Police officer Tom Roby’s wrongful termination lawsuit.

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