LOUISVILLE — Former Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin was held in contempt of court Friday for disregarding a court order to produce his financial information in a legal battle with his estranged son, Jonah.
Jefferson Family Court Judge Angela Johnson gave Bevin until Tuesday at noon to produce records including bank statements and tax returns or face sentencing for contempt.
“I have no choice but to hold you in contempt of court for violating the court’s order,” Johnson said at the conclusion of the 90-minute hearing. “You didn’t do what you were supposed to do when you were supposed to do it.”
Sanctions could range from a fine to up to 180 days in jail but Johnson said she would not sanction Bevin if he produces the information before noon Tuesday.
Jonah Bevin’s lawyers are seeking a fine of $21,000.
Bevin, who attended the hearing by Zoom and appeared to be driving a vehicle the entire time, did not speak after Johnson issued her ruling but insisted during testimony he had tried to comply with the court order.
“Absolutely,” Bevin said under questioning by his lawyer, Jesse Mudd.
It is a remarkable turn of events for the one-term Republican governor, whose estranged son, Jonah, now 19, intervened in the divorce case of Matt and his ex-wife, Glenna Bevin. The case is still pending while Jonah — who alleges his affluent parents abandoned him at age 17 in a brutally abusive youth facility in Jamaica — seeks support.
Jonah is one of four children from Ethiopia the Bevins adopted in 2012. The couple have nine children altogether.
John Helmers Jr., one of Jonah’s lawyers, called the judge’s ruling “strong.”
“I’m pleased with the judges’s decision,” he said.
‘Living off savings’
Much of Friday’s hearing revolved around financial records produced by Matt and Glenna Bevin and whether they met requirements ordered by the judge, who has said she will consider the information if she decides to order support for Jonah Bevin.
Johnson last week ordered both parents to provide detailed financial records to Jonah’s lawyer and the court by March 12. While neither Bevin has filed the information with the court, Glenna Bevin did provide sufficient information to Jonah’s lawyers and she was not included in their motion for contempt against Matt Bevin, Helmers said.
Jonah, who is living in Utah currently, testified briefly by Zoom, saying he agreed with the motion to seek contempt findings against Matt Bevin only.
“Matt Bevin is more responsible than Glenna Bevin,” he said.
Matt Bevin argued he had tried to comply but had difficulty gathering all documents sought by Jonah’s lawyers.
He said he provided “all the information that was available.”
Bevin provided his testimony from behind the steering wheel of a car. He appeared to continue driving even after the judge suggested he pull over.
Bevin said neither he nor Glenna has a salary. Their lawyers have said the two live mostly off dividends and interest from investment and savings, according to court records.
“We don’t have a lot of income,” Bevin said. “Frankly, we’re living off savings.”
Under questioning from Helmers, Bevin acknowledged reporting assets including $9 million in property, $3.6 million in stocks, bonds and mutual funds and $1.8 million in retirement funds.
Bevin filed only limited financial information with no documents to back it up, Helmers said.
“It’s basically a document that says, ‘Trust me, I’m telling you the truth,’” Helmers said.
‘We love Jonah’
Bevin claimed he and his ex-wife want only the best for Jonah, who last year obtained protective orders against them, saying he felt threatened.
“There’s not a single child that we have spent more financial resources on and, arguably, as much time on, as Jonah,” he said. “We love Jonah. Jonah’s our child as true as any other child.”
In an affidavit filed in court March 19, Jonah said he is living in Utah with a family that has supported him over the past year while trying to work “when and where I can.”
“Matt and Glenna Bevin have not been contributing to my financial needs over the past year,” he said.
In court records, Jonah’s lawyers have said the Bevins abandoned him in Jamaica after child welfare authorities shut down the juvenile facility where he’d been placed, citing abusive conditions. He was left to make his own way back to the United States with help of child advocates, his lawyers have claimed in court records.
Bevin also said he is fighting for security reasons to keep his private information out of the court record, including his address. Both he and Glenna Bevin have owned homes in Anchorage, an affluent enclave east of Louisville.
“The safety of our family is important,” he said, adding he and his family have received “death threats” and “horrific messages.”
‘You are under oath’
Bevin at one point clashed with the judge when he argued he had sought to keep the case sealed to protect his family and their privacy. The case was initially sealed by Johnson who later agreed to open it at the request of The Courier Journal, which argued it should be public.
Bevin said although the parties requested sealing the case, it was the judge’s idea.
“It was requested at your suggestion,” he told Johnson,
That brought a rebuke from the judge, who denied that claim.
“No sir,” she said. “Do not say things that are untrue. You are under oath. Let’s keep the record straight.”
A trial is scheduled Friday, March 27, on Jonah Bevin’s claim he is entitled to support from the Bevins and help completing his education.
Meanwhile, Bevin can avoid any sanctions for contempt of court by complying with her orders by March 24 , Johnson said, adding:
“Mr. Bevin, you hold the keys to your contempt.”
This story has been updated.
This article appears in March 1-24, 2026.