A Kentucky legislative panel is presenting bills charging thousands of dollars in costs to the people who unsuccessfully tried to remove the governor, attorney general and a lawmaker from office.

The House Impeachment Committee on Friday sent letters charging the petitioners more than $62,000 collectively, media outlets reported. The petitioners will have the ability to object, and some have signaled they will do so.

Petitioners against Gov. Andy Beshear will be asked to pay $42,444, according to the committee. Petitioners against Attorney General Daniel Cameron will face a $7,597 bill, while petitioners against state Rep. Robert Goforth will face a bill of $12,457.
That includes the cost of the lawyer hired by the committee, bills submitted by the people defending the petitions, attorneys who testified, the staff members working on the committee and the Kentucky State Police.

“The law requires us to tax these costs. That’s what we’ve done,” said Rep. Jason Nemes, the committee chairman. “The committee is not taking a position, we’re doing our job under the law.”

Nemes said the Beshear petition cost more because his office submitted their expenses, while Cameron’s office did not, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Last month, the committee decided to recommend against impeaching Beshear and Cameron and concluded that House members are not able to be impeached.

Two Beshear petitioners told The Courier Journal last week they intended to object to the charges. Anna Whites, the attorney for the Cameron and Goforth petitioners, said Friday evening that they will also object.

“No private citizen should be fined thousands of dollars for asking that their elected General Assembly, the voice of the people, review serious allegations against a serving member,” Whites said in an emailed statement.