Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin publicly chastised an anonymous Twitter user who accused Bevin of cheating on his wife and impregnating a former staffer, calling the allegations "vulgar and slanderous lies."

"Let me be perfectly clear," Bevin said in an Monday tweet. "The vulgar and slanderous lies being spread about me and my family and others by the partisan hacks on this Twitter feed are reprehensible and utterly baseless."

The former governor was responding to a Twitter account dubbed "kypoljunkie" that alleged Bevin "had an affair with his press secretary. She's pregnant."

The account does not identify the staffer by name.

"The fact is, Matt, I could care less about your personal life," the anonymous account said in response to Bevin. "I think most Kentuckians would agree we’re all way better off with(out) you, especially considering the situation we’re currently facing. My source has no reason to lie. I found it worth sharing as such, you lying fraud."

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Similar anonymous online accounts making those allegations and other claims against Bevin have been popped up for weeks but have not been reported or substantiated by any Kentucky media outlet.

The anonymous account claims it has "pretty solid news from a solid source" about Bevin, who lashed out at the allegations online.

"Your 'deep' and 'solid' Frankfort sources, if they actually exist, are full of crap and are nasty, lying rumor mongers just like you," Bevin tweeted.

"My wife and I have been faithfully married to one another for 24 years and counting, and for all of you nitwits to slander her and my family in this way is disgusting … Shame on you!"

The "kypoljunkie" account stood by its claims, calling Bevin an "unhinged dolt" for responding to an anonymous account.

Bevin, a Republican, lost his reelection to Democrat Andy Beshear last November by about 5,100 votes despite a late push by President Donald Trump, who campaigned for him in the Bluegrass State.

The spat with the anonymous Twitter account was the first online message Bevin has sent since downplaying the coronavirus outbreak.

"Breaking news: Chicken Little has just confirmed that the sky is indeed falling," Bevin said in a March 11 tweet. "Everyone is advised to take cover immediately and to bring lots of toilet paper with them when they do so."

This story will be updated.

Reach Phillip M. Bailey at pbailey@courier-journal.com or 502-582-4475. Follow him on Twitter at @phillipmbailey.