Ex-Rep. Bill McBee championed Boone County, aided charity, felled in corruption scandal

BURLINGTON, Ky. - Bill McBee, the former state representative who championed Boone County, whose annual “Bean Bash” continues to help countless people and who as a lobbyist was caught up in a corruption investigation, died Tuesday. He was 78.

McBee was a Boone County Democrat who spent 18 years in the state House, serving as chairman of the House Business Organizations and Professions Committee. He made a lasting mark of countless lives with his annual bean soup dinner called the “Bean Bash” that began as a political fundraiser and after McBee left politics continues as an annual charitable fundraiser for Special Olympics of Northern Kentucky, Redwood Rehabilitation Center and BAWAC.

“Bill did good things for the county,” said former Boone County Judge-Executive Bruce Ferguson. “I would prefer to think of Bill for all of the good things he did.”

Notable among McBee’s accomplishments for Boone County were road improvement projects he landed for KY 18/Burlington Pike and expansion of KY237/Northbend Road from KY 20 to KY 18.

“He certainly had the people of Boone County in mind when he went to Frankfort,” Ferguson said. “He was a very accomplished legislator for the benefit of our county.”

After losing a re-election bid in 1990, McBee became a lobbyist and it was in that capacity that he became caught up in an FBI undercover investigation known as Operation Boptrot. The investigation concerned the General Assembly’s handling of racing and other legislation in the early 1990s.

McBee, while lobbying for a now-defunct harness racing track, was captured on an FBI videotape handing $500 to then-House Speaker Don Blandford, D-Philpot, and Blandford, who was later convicted, is heard saying, “Bless your heart."

In 1992, McBee pleaded guilty to extortion and interstate travel in aid of racketeering and was sentenced to 15 months. He served five months after cooperating with federal prosecutors. A total of 22 defendants were charged or convicted in the case.

Funeral arrangements are pending at Linnemann Funeral Homes in Burlington, Ky. This year's "Bean Bash" is set for Saturday, Oct. 15.