We, the undersigned residents of Louisville, demand a full, independent forensic audit and investigation into the Louisville Metro Government’s handling of the $6.06 million settlement with LDG Multifamily and the subsequent retaliatory lawsuit filed against citizen and former legislative aide Tina Burnell for speaking out about the closed door deal. 

In 2025, Louisville Metro Government and Louisville Metro Council quietly approved a $6.06 million taxpayer-funded settlement with developer LDG, along with legislative changes to the Land Development Code that favored the plaintiff, and included additional non-monetary terms. The public was kept in the dark about all negations, including the fact that legislation was being drafted and pushed as part of the deal. 

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When Tina Burnell, raised legitimate questions about this matter, including alleged improper closed meeting discussions, and put those concerns in writing to Metro Council and the Jefferson County Attorney's Office (hereafter JCAO) — Metro Council (with JCAO at the helm) responded by hastily voting to use more taxpayer money to sue her — an extraordinary legal maneuver to obtain a Temporary Restraining Order to silence her on the matter.  (Tina has previously led her community to defeat two LDG development projects - and was well known to Metro Council and Metro Government prior to accepting and then resigning from a legislative aide position.)  She acted in good faith to expose alleged wrongdoing.

Tina's legal fees as of July 1, 2026 have risen to $14.891.61 

This is not transparent governance — it is retaliation and misuse of taxpayer funds. It is damage control. 

Public records and statements indicate that the LDG settlement was primarily negotiated by the Mayor’s administration, with Metro Council obliging the terms by passing the included legislation. Just weeks after the $6.06 million settlement was signed, Mayor Greenberg publicly issued proclamations honoring the owners of LDG — a complete slap in the face to the outraged public. 

Additionally, LDG was awarded the contract for the redevelopment of Dosker Manor while still engaged in active litigation against the city and questions have been raised regarding the integrity of the procurement process. LDG has also received significant funding through the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund, raising serious questions about the process, fairness, and  the disproportionate allocation of taxpayer-supported resources to this developer.

Furthermore, multiple Open Records Requests have been met with partials denials, redirection, and heavily redacted and commingled billing statements from outside counsel on these legal matters. Billing entries previously disclosed as costs related to the LDG settlement have now been reclassified as costs associated with the lawsuit against Tina Burnell. These entries cannot logically belong to both matters. This practice makes it impossible for the public to know how their tax dollars are actually being spent. 

For example, the JCAO provided commingled invoices that mix LDG and Burnell billing, along with heavy redactions that completely obscure which hours, rates, and amounts relate to the lawsuit against Burnell versus the LDG case. These overly broad redactions go far beyond any legitimate protection of privileged information and render the responsive portions nearly useless for public scrutiny. 

The failure to provide clear totals or properly segregated accounting violates the agency’s duty under the Kentucky Open Records Act to release all non-exempt information. Additionally, they produced no responsive records for any contracts between JCAO and Metro Council, nor a total expenditure figure — despite their statutory role and the retention of outside counsel.

Their stated claim is "Since our office is statutorily required to provide legal services, JCAO does not bill Metro Government for attorney legal services and thus does not record time sheets or expenses incurred. "

Metro Council  and JCAO have deliberately acted to conceal the true cost of this litigation from Louisville taxpayers and to conceal details surrounding the settlement with LDG to shield themselves from public scrutiny. 

Some of the records requested that were not provided include: 

1. All communications, reports, or analyses regarding the determination of the $6.06 million settlement amount, including but not limited to appraisals, valuations, or financial assessments.
2. A complete breakdown of how the $6.06 million settlement is being funded, including the sources of payment (e.g., insurance proceeds, general fund allocations, or third-party reimbursements).
3. Any communications with insurance carriers related to coverage, reimbursement, or claims arising from this settlement.

This all raises serious concerns about:

• Waste, fraud, and potential misuse of taxpayer funds
• Retaliation against a whistleblower/concerned citizen
• Violations of the Kentucky Open Meetings Act and Open Records Act
• Lack of accountability and transparency in Metro Government
• Procurement integrity 
• Quid pro quo legislation deals 

The public should not have to fight and dig for basic answers on public matters. Government has a clear duty to operate with transparency — not to keep taxpayers in the dark. 

We demand the following:

• An independent forensic audit of the $6.06 million LDG settlement and all related expenditures.
• A full audit of all legal fees and billing records associated with the lawsuit filed against Tina Burnell.
• A complete investigation into the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office and Metro Council’s handling of these matters.
• Full transparency regarding all invoices and billing practices with outside counsel for both legal cases.
• An investigation into the disproportionate amount of taxpayer funds and projects that have been given to this same developer.
• The repeal of the legislation enacted as a direct concession in the LDG settlement.

Prospect is now moving forward in the very same lawsuit that Louisville Metro settled for a substantial $6.06M PLUS legislation and other non-monetary terms. That settlement undermined citizens and neighborhoods all across Louisville and WE DESERVE ANSWERS. 

These matters raise serious questions about favoritism, improper influence,  and whether Louisville taxpayers are getting fair value — or simply subsidizing and conceding to a politically connected developer at the expense of the rest of the city.

The people of Louisville have a right to know how their money is being spent — and have a right to demand transparency and accountability — especially when it is used to silence critics, shield pubic officials from scrutiny, and reward powerful developers.

SIGN THIS PETITION to demand accountability. Enough is enough.