FRANKFORT Republican Gov. Matt Bevin left a message on a Democratic lawmaker’s cellphone voicemail on Dec. 17, 2015 that seems to imply he planned to punish the lawmaker for refusing to switch parties.

After identifying himself, Bevin left a message saying he wanted Rep. Russ Meyer, D-Nicholasville, “to be very aware of what the impact of (future Bevin decisions) will be as it relates to you, your seat, your district, etcetera.”

The call came shortly after Meyer told Bevin’s chief of staff, Blake Brickman, that he would not change party registration.

As first reported last weekend by CNHI News, after Meyer rebuffed Bevin’s entreaty to switch parties in December, Meyer said Brickman threatened to “pull every project in the 39th District.”

“You’re on the wrong side now and you’re out,” Meyer said Brickman told him. “You can’t get anything your district wants.”

Then this spring, the Transportation Cabinet delayed an $11 million contract for a long-sought road extension in Jessamine County in Meyer’s 39th District.

The contract was let just as Bevin’s predecessor, Democrat Steve Beshear, left office. But according to the Bevin administration, the cabinet hadn’t secured all the land necessary to complete the road construction project.

Because of the delay, the state was contractually obligated to pay the contractor, The Allen Company, $625,000 in damages, according to a story by Tom Loftus of The Courier-Journal.

Brickman and Bevin, who have thus far refused to comment to CNHI News, have denied to other media outlets that Meyer’s decision had anything to do with the delay of the contract to extend East Brannon Road to Tates Creek Road near the Fayette County line.

But shortly after Meyer informed Brickman last December that he would not switch parties, Bevin called Meyer and left a voice message.

Meyer says there was an obvious connection between his decision not to switch parties and the pulling of the road contract. “I think that was very clear from the voicemail message,” he said.

Here is the entire transcript of the voice mail on Meyer’s message machine:

“Good morning Russ — Matt Bevin.

“I’ve had some conversations since our last conversation — a little disappointed by some of what I’m hearing. Would love to speak to you.

“I want to make sure you understand, uh, where things are in my mind and the decisions I’m going to make in the days ahead, in the weeks ahead, in the months ahead.

“I want you to be very aware of what the impact of those decisions will be as it relates to you, your seat, your district, etcetera. Just so we have all the cards on the table.

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“I will call you back later. This number will come in as unknown. If you see it and have a moment to take it, please do. I will be in touch. Thank you.”

Meyer is the second Democratic lawmaker to allege to CNHI News that Bevin promised political retribution after he was unable to persuade him to switch parties in an effort to give Republicans control of the state House of Representatives before the General Assembly convened last December.

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Rep. Kevin Sinnette, D-Ashland, said Bevin tried to bully him into switching registration and when he refused promised to “take you down.”

Sinnette maintains he knows of at least five Democratic lawmakers who Bevin tried to intimidate into switching parties.

Bevin initially refused comment for a July 1 CNHI News story about Sinnette’s claim but more than a week later, Bevin called the story “an absolute lie.”

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com. Follow CNHI News Service stories on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cnhifrankfort.