Phill Kline (R-KS AG) fined $1,500 for campaign finance violations

[Mabus]

Kline fined $1,500 for campaign finance violation

By Scott Rothschild (Contact)
Friday, March 17, 2006


Topeka — Atty. Gen. Phill Kline on Thursday was fined $1,500 for a violation of the state campaign finance law.

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The dispute was over mailed invitations to a fundraising reception on Feb. 28 in Wichita that benefited Kline and featured former U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft.

Some of the invitations were sent to lobbyists. Under Kansas law, state officeholders are prohibited from asking lobbyists, businesses, political action committees, political parties and unions for campaign contributions from Jan. 1 until the legislative session officially ends, which is usually in late May.

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Bill Beightel, investigator for the Ethics Commission, said Kris Van Meteren, owner of The Source, was told to send the invitations to “high-dollar donors.”

rest of story at link: Kline fined $1,500 for campaign finance violation

The article also says that in August, 2005 Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe, was fined $3,000 for sending letters in April to about 150 people (17 of them lobbyists) over her potential run for Secretary of State. It also mentions that House Speaker Pro Tem Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, was fined $1 for a similar offense in July, 2005. Merrick (like Kline) self-reported the violation to the Ethics Commission and claimed the invitations sent out from his campaign for a fundraiser were sent while he was away on hunting trip.

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. So should I be more disgusted over double L Phill breaking the rules

or women's rights advocate Kay O'Connor wanting to be sec of state?

These people are vewy scawy. :scared:

[Big Unit]

2. Tough Choice Who is Worst

But I have to go with Kline being the worst, since he is supposedly the State's highest law enforcement official. But, as he has proven time and time again, he is more concerned with using the law to promote himself, or to ignore the law if it is expedient. Kay O'Connor may be a troglodyte and an idiot, but Kline is a spendthrift, liar, a hypocrite and a "paper" lawyer.

[kayice]

3. Kline was on the news on WIBW, saying how he likes to get back

to his Christian roots and speak at churches 4 or so times a year.

I think there is some black in Kline's soul....may be just me, but something about him is damn creepy.

[Big Unit]

4. Supreme Ct. Rehearing Means More $ to Train Kline to be a Lawyer

I noticed today that the U.S. Supreme Ct. has ordered a rehearing on the case of whether the Kansas Death Penalty statute is constitutional. I suppose this means that Kline is going to go back to Washington D.C. and - worse for taxpayers - that we will have to pay all over again for Kline to hire consultants and trainers to prep him for S.Ct. oral argument again. That money would be better spent just hiring an expert D.C. lawyer to make the arguments on our hehalf - which is indeed what most people do with serious cases before the U.S. Supremes. The only small redeeming value I can see in this rehearing is that it'll get Kline out of Kansas during the campaign season.