Metro Council member Anthony Piagentini addresses media(Jacob Ryan)A Louisville Metro Council member may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines almost three years after he was found to have violated local ethics laws.Documents obtained by LPM News through an open records request show the Jefferso n County Attorney’s Office began collection efforts against District 19 Republican Anthony Piagentini in late May. Piagentini was fined $3,000 by the Louisville Ethics Commission in 2023 after the board determined he violated local ethics laws by negotiating a job with a nonprofit while supporting its bid for a $40 million grant from the city.City officials did not attempt to collect the fine pending Piagentini’s appeal, which a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge denied in April.In a letter to the Ethics Commission, Robbie Howard, head of the County Attorney’s Office’s Tax and Collection Section, told the commission that the office was ready to help ensure Piagentini pays the fine now that the appeal was rejected.“Assuming no appeal of the Court's Order has been filed, and Councilman Piagentini has not paid the fine, the JCAO will initiate collection proceedings,” Howard said in the letter dated May 27.In an interview last week, Piagentini confirmed that his attorney was approached about the fine by an outside lawyer contracted by the Jefferson County Attorney’s office. However, he said he hasn’t received a specific request to pay it.“Right now, I have yet to receive a specific request or instructions, for that matter, on how to remit payment,” Piagentini said.If he does get an official request, Piagentini said, he will pay it.The two-term council member has continued to dispute the Ethics Commission’s findings, arguing that there were deep flaws in the case against him. Piagentini chose not to appeal the Circuit Court’s decision in April upholding the commission’s decision.“I think we’d have a strong appeal, but this is more cost, more time, more effort,” Piagentini said. “Given that I agree with the ultimate decision that the Metro Council made, I’m moving on.”As of Wednesday, the Ethics Commission had not received payment from Piagentini.The Jefferson County Attorney’s Office did not respond to questions from LPM News about why, more than two months after collections began, the fine is still unpaid.This story was updated. ...read more read less