Kentucky Transportation Secretary Joe Prather has announced his resignation, effective Sept. 30, according to an Associated Press report in TheTrucker.com.
"Cronyism is no longer the governing philosophy. Engineering no longer gives way to politics," Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTC) under Prather. "Transparency reigns and self-serving behavior has been weeded out."
Beshear appointed State Highway Engineer Mike Hancock to serve as acting secretary until a permanent replacement is named.
Prior to Prather’s time as secretary, the KTC had a reputation for being riddled with corruption and cronyism, including allegations of bid rigging and using state computers to view pornography. A former transportation secretary, Bill Nighbert, and Leonard Lawson, a road contractor that did business with the state, are accused of colluding with the KTC to steer $130 million in construction contracts to Lawson.
Beshear said that Prather has cleaned up the KTC by increasing competition for road projects and eliminating political influence from the contract award process.
Prather said he wanted to spend more time with his family.
