Tag: Kansas

Kobach defends Bannon, deflects personal responsibility for alleged border wall corruption

Kansas AG nominee says Bannon’s contempt conviction ‘purely political’

Kansas attorney general candidate Kris Kobach, who served as general counsel to We Build the Wall, deflected responsibility for alleged fraud against the organization and defended Stephen Bannon, who faced indictment for financial misconduct at the crowd-sourced organization created to build wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. (Photo by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector)

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector


Olathe — Kansas attorney general candidate Kris Kobach offered a sweeping defense of former presidential adviser Stephen Bannon amid allegations of fundraising fraud against We Build the Wall Inc.

Kobach said alleged wrongdoing involving the organization that raised millions of dollars for construction of barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border took place before he was hired as general counsel for We Build the Wall. He has continued to work on behalf of the organization as it moved toward an orderly shutdown.

“All the allegations revolved around supposed agreements made when the thing was first started,” Kobach said after a candidate forum Wednesday night hosted by the Kansas Chamber. “I came on after that. They brought me on to figure out how to build a wall on private land legally. That was my job.”

Kobach, who served two terms as Kansas secretary of state, said he was convinced that he wasn’t in jeopardy of being indicted.

Kobach said he cooperated with prosecutors by sharing emails related to activities of We Build the Wall. He said he was listed as a witness for the prosecution and defense in the criminal case against Colorado businessman Timothy Shea that ended in a mistrial. Two other We Build the Wall defendants have entered guilty pleas.

Kobach said he was approached in 2019 to work on the project that raised about $25 million for wall construction on the southern U.S. border. He said he “jumped at the chance” because the country suffered because of the porous border.

Bannon, the onetime advisor to President Donald Trump, surrendered Thursday to state prosecutors in New York City. He was expected to be indicted for fraud related to We Build the Wall.

“My guess is that it will be similar to what the federal prosecutors claimed two years ago,” Kobach said.

Bannon was indicted by federal prosecutors in 2020 along with three other people accused of mail fraud and money laundering through diversion for personal expenses of crowd-funded donations to We Build the Wall. Trump pardoned Bannon in 2021 to thwart prosecution in U.S. District Court for allegedly misusing $1 million in donations.

Kobach said he first met Bannon at the Trump golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, when Trump interviewed Kobach for potential appointment as secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Kobach has appeared more recently on Bannon’s “War Room” podcast.

“We’ve gotten to know each other pretty well,” Kobach said. “He did great work with the We Build the Wall organization. I think he’s doing great work with his Bannon War Room program.”

Kobach dismissed as not a “garden variety” case Bannon’s conviction in July for contempt of Congress. Bannon refused to comply with a subpoena issued by the U.S. House committee investigating the Jan. 6 assault of the Capitol.

“I think the congressional contempt prosecution is purely political,” Kobach said. “He made a decision based on the fact that he was trying to protect executive privilege. That constitutional position is one I agree with. This was him taking a constitutional stand with which the current leadership of Congress disagrees, but I anticipate leadership of Congress come January will completely agree.”

Kobach, of rural Lecompton, won the Republican Party’s nomination for attorney general in August by defeating two rivals, including GOP Sen. Kelli Warren, who was endorsed by the Kansas Chamber PAC and other conservative political groups. Kobach is running against Democratic candidate Chris Mann, a Lawrence attorney and former police officer.

The chamber’s leadership said there was concern Kobach couldn’t win a campaign for attorney general and raised questions about whether Kobach could “adequately and effectively represent Kansas businesses and individuals successfully in court.” Kobach lost a 2018 general election for governor and the 2020 primary campaign for U.S. Senate.

“The Chamber made a decision in the primary that obviously I disagreed with, but I’m hopeful that as time goes on they’ll see that I’m a friend of Kansas business,” Kobach said.

If elected attorney general, Kobach said he would attempt to unwind involvement in a collection of private cases. He has filed suits against President Joe Biden and represents military members challenging a COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

“You have to be careful how you back out of a case,” Kobach said. “You have to make sure there is somebody there who can step into your shoes and is capable of litigating that issue. I anticipate that I would try to hand off the cases.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/08/kobach-defends-bannon-deflects-personal-responsibility-for-alleged-border-wall-corruption/

Kansas attorney general candidate emerges from tragedy with refined sense of public service

Democrat Chris Mann on ballot against GOP nominee Kris Kobach

Chris Mann, Democratic nominee for attorney general against GOP nominee Kris Kobach, examined his career, motivation for seeking public office and plans to reshape the attorney general’s office. (Photo by Sherman Smith, Kansas Reflector)

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

Topeka — Democrat Chris Mann looks at the job of Kansas attorney general through the lens of personal experience as a law enforcement officer, crime victim, prosecutor and defense lawyer.

Mann, competing against Republican nominee Kris Kobach in the November election, said he wouldn’t have approached this foray into elective politics in the same way had a drunkem driver not shattered a lifelong dream to follow in the career footsteps of his police officer father.

It was 3:30 a.m. Jan. 11, 2002. Mann, who joined the Lawrence police force before graduating from University of Kansas, pulled a vehicle over for a broken taillight.

An intoxicated driver slammed into his parked cruiser at 50 mph. The force of that collision threw Mann into the back of the SUV he’d pulled over — crime scene photos show an impression of his body on that vehicle — and deposited him 30 feet away on the side of the road. He was fortunate to survive. Physical therapy couldn’t conquer the lingering pain in his body. It was devastating to step away from the police department.

“It was a great job,” Mann said on the Kansas Reflector podcast. “It was a job I really enjoyed doing. I felt like it was a calling.”

With an intact goal of being involved in public service, or “turning my pain into purpose,” Mann enrolled in law school at Washburn University in Topeka. His first job out of law school was as a prosecutor in Wyandotte County with a caseload that ranged from traffic tickets to homicides. That was followed by work on white-collar criminal cases as special assistant attorney general at the Kansas Securities Commission.

Mann, married to a surgeon and with two children, opened a law firm that has centered on representing victims of drunken drivers as they navigated the civil and criminal justice system.

“It’s that experience, and that experience in the law, that I want to bring to the state of Kansas, to the people of Kansas, to make sure that that office is run the way it should be,” he said.

Not all politics

Mann, who has never before sought elected office, said he was campaigning for attorney general to improve public safety and to protect the rights of people.

“I have said from day one that I think this office should be about public safety and not politics,” he said.


“The office itself needs to be there to help the people of Kansas. And that means that you can’t be distracted by a political agenda or personal political beliefs. You have to be there to do the work every day, to make people’s lives better in the state, to protect their rights, to protect the Constitution, and to make sure that folks feel comfortable in their communities.”

He said it was unfortunate Kobach was intent on establishing a special unit in the attorney general’s office dedicated to filing lawsuits against President Joe Biden.

“I just don’t think this office should be focused on one man’s political agenda. The office is far too important for that. This is the top law enforcement office in the state,” Mann said.

Kobach was twice elected secretary of state in his career, but lost campaigns for governor, U.S. Senate and U.S. House.

“I’m running for this office to help the people of Kansas,” Mann said. “My opponent is running for the office just to run for another office because he’s a politician.”

Mann also was critical of the decision by Attorney General Derek Schmidt, the GOP nominee for governor, to join a lawsuit originating in Texas intended at delve into 2020 election results in key states won by President Joe Biden.

Mann said there was no justification for suits filed by an attorney general based on partisan political calculations or to otherwise chase the spotlight.

“The attorney general should be very selective about the lawsuits that are filed,” he said.

On abortion

Candidates for state and federal office in Kansas have faced questions on abortion after the August vote overwhelmingly rejecting a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution that would have denied women the right to abortion in Kansas.

“The people of Kansas have clearly spoken in this August 2 primary, and they want there to be a right for women to make their own private medical decisions. I can tell you that I’m not going to use the limited resources of the attorney general’s office to attack anyone’s constitutional rights,” Mann said.

While working in Wyandotte County, Mann joined Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He contributed to the effort to pass a state law requiring use of ignition interlock devices by anyone convicted of a DUI. He eventually became chairman of MADD’s national board of directors.

“I got to travel the country doing this work, talking to industry leaders, folks from the NFL, law enforcement throughout the country and other victims,” he said. “What I really focused on was sharing my story, asking those folks to also turn their pain into purpose and to help their communities to keep their roads safe.”

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/09/06/kansas-attorney-general-candidate-emerges-from-tragedy-with-refined-sense-of-public-service/

Highway Patrol to be out in force on Labor Day weekend

The Kansas Highway Patrol is planning an increased presence on highways over Labor Day weekend.

The patrol will participate in Operation C.A.R.E. (Crash Awareness and Reduction Effort).

A spokesman for the highway patrol encouraged residents to plan for a safe weekend.

Speed, inattention and impaired driving are leading causes of traffic crashes, according to the spokesman. Troopers will be on the roadways enforcing Kansas laws and also available to assist motorists.

The highway patrol is participating in the annual Special Traffic Enforcement Program, “You Drink, You Drive, You Lose” campaign.

For this enforcement, the Kansas Department of Transportation has provided funding for troopers to work overtime so they can have more law enforcement officers patrolling the roadways, helping reduce the number and severity of crashes.

“As the summer travel season comes to a close, the Kansas Highway Patrol will be working to ensure our travelers make it to their destinations safely. As you celebrate the upcoming Labor Day weekend, we urge everyone to play it safe and have a sober driver or use a rideshare service if you will be drinking,” said Lt. Candice Breshears, public information officer. “If you are traveling and suspect another motorist may be impaired, please dial 911.”

If you’re traveling for the Labor Day holiday, the patrol offers these tips:


• Always wear your seatbelt every trip, every time. It’s your best defense against impaired drivers.
• Check your vehicle’s condition, including tires, fluid levels and mechanical equipment.
• Check road conditions at www.kandrive.org to look for construction or delays on your route.
• Allow plenty of time to arrive at your destination.
• Buckle up and make sure your children are in the appropriately fitted child safety seats.
• Have an emergency kit in your vehicle with essentials such as water, flashlights, chargers, blankets and non-perishable food.
• Always have a sober driver before you drink alcohol away from home or take a sober ride to and from the location if you will be consuming alcohol. Remember, this is your decision.
• Before you take a new prescription medication, check your medication for driving warnings.
• Before you choose to drive after drinking, know that Kansas Ignition Interlock laws require that any driver convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) must install an Ignition Interlock Device, including an electronic log device, on every vehicle you own or which is registered to you.
• Before you choose to drink and drive, think about your family, friends, coworkers and neighbors.

Motorists who need assistance on a Kansas highway may call KHP for assistance at 47 (HP), or for those traveling on the Kansas Turnpike, call 582 (KTA).