|
Yesterday's article gave details of how the Kansas
Democratic Party transfers money from certain donors through the
congressional district party committees to the state party. This
scheme, which has been used for at least several years, allows these PAC
donors to give four times more than they would be allowed to contribute to
the state party. Kansas Democrats have used political money
transfer schemes for a number of years, and one common name that appears
is Dan Lykins, as the KDP treasurer. One other name, Dennis Langley,
who was once the chair of the Kansas Democratic Party but who now lives in
South Dakota, may be the mastermind of the current money transfers.
Over the years, Langley has been involved in several similar political
money transfers. Are the following old stories clues that point to
Langley as the mastermind behind the congressional district party
transfers that Kansas Democrats now use? 1998 Scandal.
Kansas
Democrats tied to Wisconsin scandal, Lawrence Journal-World,
Nov 4, 2002:
The Kansas Democratic Party is mentioned in a 67-page criminal
complaint accusing Wisconsin's Senate majority leader of extortion,
money laundering and circumventing the state's limits on campaign
contributions.
The complaint also mentions Dennis Langley, chairman of the
Kansas Democratic Party from 1993 to 1999. ...
"We're really puzzled as to why we're even mentioned at
all," said Tom Sawyer, chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party.
"We've had calls from reporters, but not from an
investigator," Sawyer said. "Our books don't show any checks
going to the groups mentioned in the complaint the complaint says the
$4,000 came from Langley. We don't know anything about that."
Adding to the confusion, Sawyer said, is the complaint's claim
that Madison Gas and Electric and two subsidiaries contributed $25,000
to the Kansas Democratic Party. ...
Dan Lykins, a Topeka lawyer who's running against U.S. Rep.
Jim Ryun, R-Kansas, was treasurer of the Kansas Democratic Party in
1998. ...
Langley now lives in South Dakota, where he serves on the
executive board of the South Dakota Democratic Party... Langley is
no stranger to moving money from one state's Democratic party to another
1996 Scandal. Also from Nov
4, 2002 Lawrence Journal-World:
In 1997, the Kansas Commission on Governmental Standards and
Conduct investigated reports that Democratic parties in 17 other states
each contributed either $14,990 or $15,000 to the Kansas Democratic
Party in the final weeks of the 1996 general election. Records showed
that most of the money was spent on television commercials for
then-State Treasurer Sally Thompson and Jill Docking, who were
challenging U.S. Reps. Pat Roberts and Sam Brownback, R-Kansas, for the
U.S. Senate seats vacated by Nancy Kassebaum and Bob Dole.
In Kansas, contributions to political parties are limited to
$15,000 per calendar year. ...
Democratic National Committee money also found its way to the
Kansas Democratic Party through contributions forwarded by Democratic
parties in 12 Kansas counties and by Democratic candidates incumbents
and newcomers running for the Kansas House and Senate.
"Questions raised about
'96 Cash Flow to Democrats," Wichita Eagle, Sept 14, 1997.
But Kansas Democrats have never been able to raise as much money
as Republicans, and everybody knew these races would cost a fortune.
Dennis Langley, chairman of the Kansas Democratic Party, went to
the Democratic National Committee for help. He got it.
More than $300,000 reached the state party in the weeks before
the Nov. 5 election - despite a state law that limits such
national-party contributions to $25,000 a year.
National-party money appears to have reached the state party's
coffers in at least two ways:
- The national party donated $5,000 to each of the Democratic
parties in 15 Kansas counties. Twelve of these counties sent the state
party between $4,250 and $4,750.
- The Democratic parties in 17 other states each sent the Kansas
party either $14,990 or $15,000 after receiving money from the national
party.
Also, 70 Democratic legislative candidates in the state received
either $500 or $1,000 contributions from the national party. Five of
these candidates say they were told to keep 20 percent of the money and
to send 80 percent to the state party.
In each case, the payments appear to at least circumvent state
laws designed to limit the national parties' influence in state
elections.
All told, almost $315,000 in once-national-party money - more than
121/2 times the $25,000 limit - found its way to the Kansas Democratic
Party.
1991 Campaign Controversy. "More
Fuel on Ethics-Reform Fire Case Shows 'Kansas Isn't Squeaky Clean'", Wichita
Eagle, April 9, 1991.
Legislators and ethics-reform advocates are
questioning the actions of a natural gas executive who raised money for
Gov. Joan Finney's campaign and then helped appoint a member to the
agency that regulates his businesses.
The Eagle reported Sunday that Dennis Langley, 38, of
Hutchinson a national Democratic committeeman raised at least $33,000
for Finney in mid- November and December from employees and officers of
pipeline companies with which he has connections in Kansas and Oklahoma.
At the time of the donations, Langley became Finney's chief
adviser on oil and natural gas matters. He recommended to Finney
that she name Republican Rachel Lipman to the Kansas Corporation
Commission, the three-member panel that regulates the oil and natural
gas industry. ...
Both Langley and Finney's appointments secretary Mary Holladay
said that the contributions Langley raised had nothing to do with
Langley's advisory role and that the money in no way makes the governor
indebted to Langley or his companies.
"Finney fund-raiser didn't break law Democratic Party
official raised thousands to aid governor's effort.", Kansas City
Star, July 4, 1991.
The state ethics commission has cleared a Democratic Party
official of wrongdoing in connection with the raising of money for Gov.
Joan Finney.
The official, Dennis Langley of Hutchinson, was told that
an investigation by the staff of the Commission on Governmental
Standards and Conduct found that he had not violated any provisions of
the Campaign Finance Act. The commission sent him a letter on June 12.
Langley is one of four Kansas representatives on the Democratic
National Committee and has been active in state politics for more than a
decade. He is a lawyer and the president of the Bishop Group Ltd., a
natural gas conglomerate.
Final note. While Dennis
Langley is a now a member of the Democratic National Committee for South Dakota
and is registered to vote in South Dakota, he is married to former KDP
Executive Director, Lyn Shaw, and they maintain a residence in Lake Quivira.
From their exclusive Johnson County home, Langley and Shaw host fund
raisers for Democrats, such as the Nancy Pelosi fund raising event they
held in Nov 2007 for Nancy Boyda. When not
busy fundraising for Democrats, Langley is pushing for government
involvement in bioenergy. From the Nov
16, 2007 CQ.com (Congressional Quarterly)
Some ethanol investors now courting congressional backing come
from other energy-related businesses.
Dennis Langley, a former Senate aide and Kansas state Democratic
chairman, became chief executive officer of E3 Biofuels after selling a
natural gas business, the Kansas Pipeline Co., in 1999.
His company’s prototype plant in Mead, Neb., is intended to
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane
by using methane derived from cow manure and other animal waste to fuel
ethanol production.
Langley contributed $10,000 to the DCCC two days after his
factory opened. His wife, Lynette K. Shaw, E3’s senior vice
president of governmental affairs, gave $28,500 to the DSCC and $5,000
to Van Hollen’s Victory Now leadership political action committee.
Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin, D-S.D., an architect of the
Democratic agenda on alternative fuels, said Langley hosted a fundraiser
for her last year that attracted industry investors.
And earlier this month, the Langleys hosted a fundraiser for
Rep. Nancy Boyda, D-Kan., attended by Kansas women prominent in business
and government. Pelosi spoke to the group via telephone.
To increase its profile in Washington even more, E3 Biofuels has
hired the Gephardt Group, a lobbying firm run by former House Minority
Leader Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo. (1977-2005).
There is no end to this political money story.
|
