The Kentucky Judicial Campaign Conduct Committee today issued a press release suggesting Circuit Judge Jim Shake’s advertising in the Kentucky Supreme Court race is confusing and possibly misleading to voters.

But in a statement issued to LEO Weekly, Shake says, “I have more confidence in the voters of Jefferson County.”

Specifically, the committee is concerned that some of Shake’s campaign materials — including yard signs — might confuse voters, leading them to believe he is chief judge of the state Supreme Court, because both phrases appear by his name in a similarly sized yellow font. (He currently is chief judge of the Jefferson County Circuit Court.)

And while the actual term for presiding judge of the Supreme Court is chief justice, Shake’s opponent, appointed Justice Lisabeth Hughes Abramson, lodged a complaint with the campaign conduct committee. According to Shake, its one of “a multitude of complaints in what is a transparent attempt to keep from voters what may be the most critical information for them to decide who to vote for in this race.”

The committee did not consider this a matter of campaign misconduct, but urged Shake’s campaign to make changes to his literature and his website, saying voters might not grasp the subtle distinction.

Since then, Shake has altered his website, using contrasting colors for the two phrases, but the committee still is not satisfied because many of his campaign materials remain the same, hence the press release.

The Shake campaign points out, however, that both the Judicial Conduct Commission, the body authorized by law to review judicial campaign conduct, and the Louisville Bar Association’s Committee on Judicial Independence and Integrity reviewed this and other complaints made by Abramson and found no violations. Plus, they say this statewide group has “no authority to do anything but issue a press release.”