by Tom Loftus, @TomLoftus_CJ –

FRANKFORT, Ky. – The committee that financed the inauguration celebration of Gov. Matt Bevin dissolved last month after giving nearly a half million dollars in remaining funds to a new charity devoted to the upkeep of historic buildings in Frankfort.

The final report filed by Bevin-Hampton Inaugural Inc. with the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance shows that its last transaction was to donate $494,194.45 to the charity called #WeAreKY! Inc.

Records of the Kentucky Secretary of State show the charity was originally formed in April of 2016 under a different name. But its articles of incorporation were rewritten and the corporation renamed #WeAreKY! Inc. in May.

The charity’s directors remained the same: First Lady Glenna Bevin; Amy Sarin, of Louisville; and Lisa Clark, of Louisville.

The revised articles of incorporation state in part that the charity’s purpose is: “To initiate projects and fundraising efforts to acquire appropriate works of art, furnishings and decorative arts for, and to make necessary, warranted or appropriate improvements toward, the benefit of historic governmental related structures in or around Franklin County …”

Those structures, it says, include the Capitol, Governor’s Mansion and Old Governor’s Mansion.

For many years supporters of newly-elected governors have formed committees to pay for costs of inauguration events. Inaugural committees are permitted by state law to accept contributions of unlimited amounts. And the committee formed for Bevin and Lt. Gov. Jenean Hampton quickly raised many big contributions in late 2015 and a total of nearly $1.1 million. But reports show that it spent only about half of that for inauguration expenses.

State law allows an inauguration committee to donate its remaining funds to a recognized charity. But the law also would have allowed Bevin to keep the money in the fund and use it to pay expenses of a possible second inauguration in 2019.

The governor’s communications office did not immediately respond to an email and phone calls seeking comment on why the decision was made to give the remaining funds to #WeAreKY! Inc. and whether that charity has any particular use planned for the windfall of money.

Bevin’s inauguration committee was chaired by Republican fundraisers Joe and Kelly Craft. Joe Craft is chief executive of Alliance Resource Partners, and Kelly Craft was nominated last month by President Donald Trump to be ambassador to Canada. Neither could be reached immediately on a phone number listed on the report filed with the election registry.

We’re keeping Santa busy delivering fun perks! Look for different surprises throughout the month.

Before it gave away its remaining balance, the committee also reported that it refunded a $2,000 contribution it got in late 2015 from James F. Sullivan Jr., of Frankfort, a consultant with Capital Partners. Sullivan has been a donor to Democrats for decades and has worked in state government. And he was twice appointed by Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear to the state Board of Claims and Crime Victims Compensation Board.

Beshear, meanwhile, continues to sit on a big balance of funds remaining from his inaugural fund of 2011. Beshear’s committee reported recently that during the second quarter of 2017, it donated $5,000 to Maryhurst, of Louisville, but after that still has $269,296 in the bank.