Sept 9, 2007
(Updated Sept 22, 2007)

Kansas Traditional Republican Majority and Kansas Democratic Party Share Major Contributors

Why is KTRM's 501c(4)  "delinquent' as a Kansas corporation and in its IRS 8872 filings?

Summary: While the "liberal" Kansas Democrats and the "moderate" Kansas Republicans have their political differences, their goals are often similar, and both groups work against "conservatives."  Both the "liberal" Kansas Democratic Party (KDP) and the "moderate" Kansans Traditional Republican Majority (KTRM) share many of the same "progressive" agendas in Kansas.  In the 2005-2006 election cycle these groups shared more than agendas when they shared four major political donors, including the KNEA PAC, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC, the Heavy Constructors PAC, and Tim Gill from Denver.  Table 1 shows a summary of contributions from their shared major contributors: 

Table 1.  Summary of Major Contributors 
Shared by KTRM PAC and KDP in the 2005-2006 Election Cycle

^* "Major" defined as a donor giving $10,000 or more

The Kansas Democratic Party claims a "Blue Tide Rising" in Kansas and their political success can be explained by the massive amounts of political money they've imported from outside of Kansas (e.g., see one complicated money scheme used by Kansas Democrats in the last election cycle to pump money to the KDP, Kathleen Sebelius, Paul Morrison, and a DC polling company), and the conflicts within the Republican Party in Kansas.   

The Kansas Traditional Republican Majority claims they are "traditional" and they are a "majority" but evidence for either claim seems weak.   

Politically, KTRM is as exclusionary as the "single issue" conservatives they complain about.  KTRM only accepts prolife members if that issue would never affect a vote.  KTRM would not accept  prolife folks who are disturbed by the infanticide that is occurring in Wichita.  KTRM supports LGBT activists claiming "It's about time" even though Kansas voters in 2005 voted 70% to 30% confirming traditional marriage.  

The "Country Club" KTRM Republicans seem to be mostly interested in control and power and even fiscal discipline doesn't matter.  KTRM-supported Republicans in the Kansas Legislature didn't care that the Kansas Supreme Court had usurped the power of the Kansas Legislature in the school funding issue.  KTRM wanted the school money, the  issue and weakened conservatives and didn't care the Democrat-controlled Kansas Supreme Court had overstepped its constitutional authority in controlling how the legislature spent money.  KTRM wants political power and control, but how are they different from Kansas Democrats on issues?

KTRM PAC's major contributors shared with the KDP accounted for almost 80% of their funding.  About 13% of KTRM PAC's funding was from "big donors" -- the "Country Club" Republicans  who gave $250 or more.  Only 7% of KTRM PAC's contributions are represented by their "Republican Majority."  See Table 2.  KTRM seems to lack volunteers and their "majority" seems to buy everything they need for their political campaigns. 

Table 2.  Summary of  KTRM PAC Contributors

The KTRM PAC had five major areas of expenditures:

• Mailings, including printing and postage (about $52,000)
• Office work labor (about $22,000)
• Radio ads and production ($16,630)
• Focus group research ($11,722)
• Polling ($10,200)

In addition to their KTRM PAC, the group appears to have a KTRM 501(c)4 organization, which can be used for "educational" purposes.  The group is a "delinquent" Kansas corporation, according to the Kansas Secretary of State.  The KTRM, Inc. 501(c)4 received $39,602 from the national liberal group, Republican Main Street Partnership in 2005, and $13,631 in 2006.  Other IRS 8872 reports from 2006 are either delinquent, or cannot be found on the IRS site at the present time for unexplained reasons. 

The details of the IRS 8872 forms show Republican Main Street Partnership, Washington, DC, gave $53,233 of the $60,683 in the known filings, and $41,133 was used to pay the salary of the KTRM Executive Director, Ryan Wright.

With more than $25,000 in contributions in 2005, it's not clear whether KTRM, Inc. should have also filed an IRS 990, too, since some financial details are not on the IRS 8872 forms.   

Outline of Details

• Summary of KTRM Contributions by Reporting Period, 2005-2006

• Details of Major Contributors Shared by KTRM and the Kansas Democratic Party

• Details of KTRM Major Donors by Reporting Period:  $10,000 or more

• Details of KTRM Big Donors by Reporting Period:  $250 or more

• KTRM PAC's Political Contributions to Candidates

• Selected Expenditure Summary of KTRM PAC, 2005-2006

• KTRM's Delinquent Status with Kansas Secretary of State

• Summary of IRS 8872 Forms Filed by Kansas Traditional Republican Majority, Inc.

#1 PAC in Kansas in 2006 according to 
KS Gov't Ethics Commission List

03/15/2006 $5,000
03/15/2006 $5,000
03/15/2006 $5,000
03/15/2006 $5,000
04/05/2006 $5,000
09/30/2006 $5,000
12/14/2006 $2,500

TOTAL:  $41,500

The Heavy Constructers in their verified statements showed their $25,000 contribution was to the "Kansas Traditional Republican Party" instead of "Kansas Traditional Republican Majority."  They reported their $3,500 contribution as being to "Kansas Traditional Republicans."

This group was listed in Top 20 PACs in Kansas for 2006 
but likely would have been the #2 PAC in Kansas
if "Verified Statements" from out-of-state PACs
had been used in the analysis. 

TOTAL:  $28,500

03/17/2006   $5,000
03/17/2006   $5,000
03/17/2006 $15,000
04/11/2006   $3,500
08/02/2006   $5,000
08/22/2006  $1,000
10/19/2006 $2,000
12/14/2006 $1,000
12/18/2006 $1,000

TOTAL:  $81,500

#3 PAC in Kansas in 2006 according to 
KS Gov't Ethics Commission List

TOTAL:  $13,000

TOTAL:  $52,000

¹Participated in funneling money to Kansas Democrats in last election cycle:  "Kansas Democrats Use Congressional District Party 'Committees' as Political $uperfund To Pump Money to Kansas Democratic Party, Sebelius, Morrison and Pollsters," Kansas Meadowlark, Jan 23, 2007.  Multiple checks written on the same date to the various District "Committees" were part of the scheme to funnel more money to the KDP than could be transferred with a single check. 

²KNEA ($15,000) and the the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC  ($28,775) were two of the three known groups that sent money to the non-profit Progress Kansas to knock out certain State Representatives it the Kansas legislature. See "Case Study of State Rep Gene Rardin's Election: The Kansas Democratic Party's Method of Buying a State Representative Via Their Kansas Coordinated Campaign", Kansas Meadowlark, July 22, 2007

³ Includes contributions directly to the Kansas Democratic Party and their four Congressional District "Committees," their House and Senatorial committees documented in note #1 above.

^{4 "}Weak Kansas Laws Allow 'Heavy' Missouri Group to Hide Their Political Involvement in Kansas Politics," Kansas Meadowlark, Mar 21, 2007.  

⁵ Why the "Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC" sometimes goes by the name "BizPAC" is not obvious.  The "BizPAC" letterhead says "BizPAC" is "The Political Action Committee of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City."  The footer says "BizPAC funds are used for purposes that are consistent with the goals and missions of both The Chamber and the Civic Council."

⁶ The Greater KC Chamber report said they sent $5000 to the KDP's "Kansas Coordinated Campaign" but the KDP says they received $8000.

⁷ For background information on Tim Gill, see Atlantic Monthly, March 2007, "They won't know what hit them."  How a network of gay political donors is stealthily fighting sexual discrimination and reshaping American politics.

¹ Steve Cloud established Responsible Republicans for Kansas as a non-profit and filed an IRS Form 8871 on Feb 17, 2004.  Jack Ranson, Wichita, is Treasurer but files from Cloud's business address. 

Responsible Republicans for Kansas PAC terminated and sent their assets to KTRM.

² Johnson Country Republicans for Education PAC:    Steve Cloud's JCRE PAC received a $20,000 payment in 2002 and another $20,000 payment in 2004 from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, which Cloud used to send multiple mailings to voters about precinct and State Rep races.  See Missouri Interference in Kansas Elections AGAIN! Steve Cloud gets another $20,000 from Missouri sources for his control of the Kansas Republican Party, Kansas Meadowlark, Aug 5, 2004, and Greater Kansas City Missouri Chamber continues meddling in Kansas Politics in 2006? GOP National Committeeman for Kansas, Steve Cloud, gets $25,000 election year stipend for his KTRM group?, Kansas Meadowlark, July 17, 2006.  

Johnson Country Republicans for Education PAC terminated and sent their assets to KTRM.

³Topeka Capital-Journal, Sept 5, 2006, "Quirky spending discovered"

John Robb, a Newton attorney who served as co-counsel to Rupe, was in Topeka during May 2000 to attend meetings related to the litigation. He billed Schools for Fair Funding a rate of $125 for a 12-hour work day, pocketing $1,500. He also charged his client districts for a $13 parking ticket he received in Topeka.

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