Jerry Abramson recently told WHAS 11 news "that he didn't know anything about claims that the city ran up $14 million in interest before settling a lawsuit with firefighters about overtime pay", but Metro Council Member Kelly Downard stated that the $14 million in interest is a direct result of the city's continued appeals. Appeals made at the request of Mayor Abramson and appeals that resulted in the court's consistently siding with firefighters.
The mayor's statement follows his abrupt decision to end the long standing court battle with firefighters and propose a $45 million settlement to be paid in three installments over an 8 month period. A settlement that will call for payments exceeding $100,000 to some firefighters.
Whether it was a change of heart or a call to get his house in order before the campaign for Kentucky's governorship begins full swing (The Latter), it can be reasonably assumed that a man who has made a career of micro managing his puppets departmental heads might not sound credible when he claims ignorance as a defense.