Here’s what happened.
Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin was taken into custody Thursday after law enforcement officers located him at an unusual place — a Kentucky film set where a Christmas movie was being produced.
The Republican former governor was taken into custody in Paris, Kentucky, on an outstanding warrant stemming from a family court dispute involving child support and financial records.
The arrest quickly attracted attention because Bevin wasn’t found at a political event or government building. He was working as a “featured extra” in a Christmas movie being filmed at a horse farm.
One day later, Bevin appeared before a judge who ordered him to serve a 60-day jail sentence.
Matt Bevin Arrested on Christmas Movie Set
Bevin was participating in the movie production Thursday when deputies from the Bourbon County Sheriff’s Office arrived.
According to Kentucky Public Radio, property owner Jessica Mohr said Bevin had been speaking with the film’s lead actor shortly before authorities located him.
Sheriff Tony Asbury said his office received information that the former governor was participating in a film project at the property. Deputies confirmed that Bevin had an active warrant before making the arrest.
Authorities said Bevin cooperated with law enforcement and was taken into custody without incident.
He was initially lodged at the Bourbon-Nicholas County Regional Detention Center before being booked into a Louisville jail.
Why Was Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin Arrested?
The warrant was tied to an ongoing family court case and Bevin’s failure to provide financial information ordered by the court.
Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson had previously found Bevin in contempt after he failed to turn over requested financial documents.
The dispute involves child support for Bevin’s adopted son, Jonah Bevin.
The court proceedings had already resulted in months of legal wrangling before Thursday’s arrest.
Bevin also previously missed a court appearance in May. He said he was unable to attend because he was dealing with damage to his Maine home after a boulder crashed into the property.
The dispute eventually resulted in another warrant after the court determined Bevin had failed to comply with orders concerning the requested financial information.
Judge Orders Bevin to Serve 60 Days in Jail
Bevin returned to court Friday following his arrest, but his attempt to secure relief from the sentence was unsuccessful.
Judge Johnson ordered the former governor to serve the remainder of a 60-day jail sentence for civil contempt.
During the hearing, the judge sharply criticized Bevin’s history of noncompliance with the court’s directives.
Johnson said Bevin had repeatedly demonstrated disregard for the court and had not shown that he was prepared to comply with its orders.
Bevin’s attorneys sought an alternative to serving the sentence in jail, including home detention. The judge declined to grant that request.
The judge indicated that the situation could potentially be reconsidered after Bevin serves 30 days, depending on subsequent developments.
Arrest Not Connected to Bevin’s Time as Governor
Despite Bevin’s long political history, the legal dispute that led to his arrest is personal rather than connected to his actions while serving as Kentucky governor.
Bevin served as Kentucky’s governor from 2015 until 2019.
He won the governor’s race in 2015 before narrowly losing his reelection campaign four years later to Democrat Andy Beshear.
Bevin largely faded from the national political spotlight after leaving office, but Thursday’s unusual arrest quickly put his name back in the headlines.
Political Fallout Follows Bevin Arrest
The arrest also drew reactions from Kentucky political figures because of Bevin’s previous connections within the state’s Republican Party.
Ralph Alvarado, who served as Bevin’s running mate during his unsuccessful 2019 reelection campaign, is now running as the Republican candidate in Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District.
Democrats attempted to connect Alvarado to the former governor following news of the arrest.
Alvarado spokesperson Andrew Westberry responded by making clear that Bevin should be held accountable for complying with the court.
“Court orders are not optional, and everyone should comply with the court’s directive,” Westberry said in a statement provided to The Hill. “Failure to do so has consequences.”
What Happens Next for Matt Bevin?
For now, Bevin has been ordered to remain in jail and serve the sentence imposed by the family court.
The former governor can pursue an appeal, and the judge indicated she could reconsider the situation after 30 days depending on Bevin’s conduct and other circumstances.
The underlying legal dispute has already stretched across months of court proceedings involving financial disclosures and child support.
What made Thursday’s development particularly unusual was where authorities finally found him.
A former governor who once occupied Kentucky’s highest political office was taken into custody while working as an extra on the set of a Christmas movie.
The circumstances may be unusual, but the legal issue behind the arrest is straightforward: a judge determined that Bevin repeatedly failed to comply with court orders, ultimately resulting in his arrest and incarceration.