Former KY unemployment chief said political VIP requests were ‘getting in the way’

Muncie McNamara was frustrated.

The COVID-19 pandemic had been roaring through Kentucky for a little more than a month and his state Office of Unemployment Insurance already was struggling with thousands of claims from out-of-work Kentuckians seeking money to pay their bills.

McNamara, a Bardstown attorney, had started work Jan. 15, 2020, for the new Beshear Administration as executive director of the unemployment insurance office at an annual salary of $85,000. The little-publicized office then was in the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, headed by a family friend, Lt. Gov. Jacqueline Coleman.

The job became overwhelming in early spring last year as the virus started claiming lives and putting people out of work.

McNamara, who died by suicide March 7 of this year at the age of 39, wrote in text messages about his problems in the job. Particularly bothersome to him were requests from political officials to check on the unemployment insurance claims of specific people.

“You know dealing with these individual lists of names from all over is probably taking up half or more of staff time,” McNamara wrote in an April 17, 2020, text. “All of these people who somehow think they’re connected are special. It’s getting in the way of fixing the larger systemic issues.”

The documents were released to the Lexington Herald-Leader by an attorney on behalf of McNamara’s widow, Audrey Haydon, a Bardstown attorney, “out of concern that McNamara would be blamed for the OUI misfeasance that occurred over his objections and after he was fired, particularly since he cannot defend himself.”

All the names and information about people contacting politicians for help in the messages were redacted.

In the texts, McNamara said he got such referrals from Democrats and Republicans alike. He mentioned Rocky Adkins, a senior advisor to Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear; then state-Rep. Chris Harris, D-Forest Hills in Pike County; and a staffer for Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Bowling Green.

Louisville’s WDRB-TV reported March 15 of this year that Lt. Gov. Coleman texted McNamara at least four times last year about certain people’s unemployment claims.

“Hey, guys! I need someone to reach out to a couple people,” Coleman wrote in an April 6, 2020 text message to McNamara and to McNamara’s direct supervisor, Commissioner of Workforce Investment Marty Hammons.

One of the people who needs help “does my hair (so we OBVIOUSLY need to take care of her (emoticon)). Here are her messages and contact info,” Coleman wrote in the group text. Three more texts followed containing images and a contact card.

He told Coleman on April 5, 2020, a day before she made requests, that it is “especially my job to make you look good so I’ll take care of this stuff if you send me names.”

Coleman’s office responded to the TV report, saying the Beshear Administration, “gets daily calls, emails and letters from the public, local officials and even the media, such as WDRB, asking for particular UI claims to be reviewed.”

“Following a process designed to help resolve claims, those requests are forwarded to the UI team,” the statement said. “These claims sometimes involve people known by the recipient. These people, like all Kentuckians, are hurting and need help.”

A few days later in a news conference, Beshear compared the texts from Coleman to the letters, calls and emails he and other state officials receive from individuals, legislators and media outlets to evaluate peoples’ claims.

He said no one’s position should influence what claims are considered and when.

McNamara’s texts indicate that he thought he needed to act quickly on referrals from political leaders.

On April 16, 2020, McNamara wrote that Adkins sent a message to him about a person needing help with a benefits claim. McNamara responded in three minutes, forwarding it “to someone who can respond.”

Adkins did not return a call from the Herald-Leader seeking comment about his referral.

Harris said Wednesday he sent “numerous referrals” to the unemployment insurance office. “That’s one thing legislators try to do, help their constituents.”

He said he could not recall any of the names he sent but “I consider it a duty to do this. What is really sad is that the unemployment insurance office was underfunded in the previous administration and needed more staffing to handle all the calls. It was sad for Mr. McNamara.”

On April 23, McNamara’s texts showed he had learned from Jonathan Smith, deputy chief of staff for Beshear, of a referral from U.S. Sen. Paul’s office.

“Yeah, I’m on it,” said McNamara. “Can I tell him since he hates government spending we will follow his lead and just deny this person?”

In an April 27, 2020, text, McNamara noted that David Floyd, a former Republican legislator from Bardstown and chief of staff to House Speaker David Osborne, “contacted me yesterday to check in and then he did it again today.”

“And apparently the reason is the legislature wants to have their staff process UI claims,” he wrote.

Floyd said Thursday that Osborne and Senate President Robert Stivers had heard of the problems in the unemployment insurance office and had a list of volunteers from the Legislative Research Commission who could help with the backlog of claims.

Floyd said nothing came of it. “It wasn’t Muncie’s call but someone up the chain didn’t follow through with the offer for some reason or other.”

Days before he was fired, McNamara expressed concerns about his health. On April 29, he said, “I’m kinda sorta OK. I’m not going to die tonight.”

McNamara filed an appeal last year with the state Personnel Board, challenging his firing last May 5.

Mark Sipek, executive director of the Personnel Board, said this week that the appeal is pending while McNamara’s estate decides whether to pursue it.

McNamara was found dead March 7 in a Bardstown parking lot. Police said his death was a suicide. His obituary said he died of “chronic depression.”

In public testimony last year before a state legislative committee, McNamara said he was qualified for the job with his experience in administrative law but that he was faced with inadequate technology and staffing and a desire to address quickly the historic level of claims. He said he was fired without cause.

In defending his dismissal, the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet said, “Mr. McNamara exhibited unprofessional behavior toward cabinet leadership and teammates, and basically didn’t have the skills to handle the problems with unemployment insurance.”

Last summer, Beshear moved the Office of Unemployment Insurance to the Labor Cabinet.