Kentucky Fen-Phen Judge's Retirement Pay Cut

By Hubert Vigilla

Published on March 06, 2006

According to Kentucky Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, Joseph Bamberger, the disgraced judge, will have his retirement pay reduced each month by approximately $3,665. Lambert noted that Bamberger had not met the five-year requirement to receive increased retirement benefits at the time of his resignation. Bamberger, who has 22 years of public service, will continue to receive $5,613 a month.

Bamberger resigned last week after being publicly reprimanded by Kentucky's Judicial Conduct Commission. The group accused Bamberger of giving attorneys, including a personal friend, between $86 million and $104 million from a 2001 Fen-Phen settlement. The 431 plaintiffs in the case split the remaining $74 million from the settlement. More than 300 of the plaintiffs have sued three of the lawyers involved in their case.

Bamberger also allegedly placed $20 million from the Fen-Phen settlement into the Kentucky Fund for Healthy Living, a charitable fund of which he became the paid director. As paid director, Bamberger received $5,000 a month in addition to a $350 monthly expense allowance. Kentucky Attorney General Greg Stumbo has noted that he will investigate the charitable fund.

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