LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- It may be an early indication, on the first official day of summer, that the Louisville mayoral race is going to get heated.
Republican challenger, Councilwoman Angela Leet, accused Democratic incumbent, Mayor Greg Fischer, of lacking transparency. Mayor Fischer responded by saying what Councilwoman Leet suggests amounts to "business malpractice".
She flat out asked, "what is he hiding?"
The Republican challenger's laundry list of accusations focused on transparency or what she described as a "lack of" by the Mayor regarding several recent high profile situations.
“When I am mayor, I will not withhold information from the public," said Angela Leet. “I will not violate transparency laws, I will not allow secret committees to meet under the cover of darkness and spend taxpayer dollars and I will not allow backroom deals and secret government spending."
She questioned redacted notes and legal fees in the LMPD explorer sexual assault investigation, details kept secret involving the offer to entice Amazon and reports of a more than $100,000 Kentucky Derby party with a guest list the mayor won't reveal.
"Our administration is known all over the country for transparency," insisted Mayor Greg Fischer. “We've received multiple awards around that. We approach each situation with discretion in terms of how to get to the right end and you see that in the success of the city.”
The Democratic incumbent dismissed allegations, citing business strategy for keeping quiet on the Amazon deal and Derby party.
"People expect, first and foremost, from me to exercise common sense," Fischer said. “For us to release the names of the business prospects of our city that are coming here to do business would be business malpractice."
Leet questioned that statement.
“Is it economic development or is this simply a way to secure additional political donations during an election year," asked Leet.