'King of the roads': Embattled Kentucky highway contractor Leonard Lawson dies at 82
Leonard Lawson, the embattled highway contractor who ascended from humble Eastern Kentucky roots to dominate the state’s road construction industry, has died.
Lawson, 82, died Friday night in Naples, Florida, where he lived in the winter, according to former Kentucky Gov. Paul Patton, a longtime friend.
Born into poverty in Bell County as the son of a coal miner, Lawson rose to prominence in the 1970s with his road asphalt companies under the umbrella corporation Mountain Enterprises, which dominated state contracts in Eastern Kentucky.
The asphalt contracts brought Lawson both great wealth and great scrutiny from critics who accused him of improper business tactics — which included two federal cases alleging his involvement in bid-rigging.
Read more: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/local/2022/02/07/embattled-kentucky-highway-contractor-leonard-lawson-dies-82/6683696001/