Kansas Meadowlark

The Wichita Voters for Truth PAC sent out this hit piece against State Rep candidate Jan Beemer in the Nov 2006 election, but never filed its Jan 2007 PAC report with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission explaining how much money was raised and spent on that mailing. Bruce McKinney from Wichita was the Chair and Treasurer of this PAC.

According to the June 24, 2005 Wichita Eagle, “Gay Pride Parade, Festival Sunday”, Bruce McKinney organized the first Wichita gay pride events in 1990 and was quoted by the Eagle June 22, 2007, “Parade and Festival Part of Gay Pride Event,” about last year’s event. Bruce will likely be at the 2008 Pride Parade and Pride Festival this Sunday in Wichita, so if anyone sees Bruce at these events will you remind him the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission would like to talk to him about his missing PAC report from 2007? (more…)

[Updated] Gov. Sebelius’ reception for Dr. George Tiller at the Governor’s mansion while Tiller was under criminal investigation has been in the news for the past several days. News reports today focused on a late reimbursement to the State of Kansas for the event. Gov. Sebelius did not report auction items she donated to the Greater Kansas City Women’s Political Caucus, like the reception, as expenditures by her campaign committee or PAC, so the donations must have been made by her personally. (more…)

On Saturday representatives from the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy (GPACE Action) 527 PAC were knocking on doors in parts of Johnson County looking for voters supportive of global warming. GPACE Action representatives were asking interested voters to sign a card and “GPACE will make sure it is delivered to your state representative.” (more…)

An IRS web site shows that a new 527 PAC was recently created, GPACE Action, with a connection to the Great Plains Alliance for Clean Energy, Inc., a Kansas non-profit corporation according to the Kansas Secretary of State. Why is this a 527 PAC instead of a Kansas PAC?

The GPACE Action IRS 8871 shows that Scott Allegrucci is the only known director of this new 527. But with Allegrucci having so little political experience, who is really behind this 527 PAC? (more…)

The Greater Kansas City (Missouri) Chamber of Commerce PAC is awash in cash, with $788,295 in the bank at the end of the Jan 10, 2008 reporting period. A recent Meadowlark article, Political Money Rankings of 228 Kansas PACs, reported that the Missouri GKC Chamber PAC was #1 in Kansas with money raised in 2007, #1 in money spent in 2007, and #1 with money in the bank. (more…)

Is former Kansas Democratic Party chair and master fundraiser, Dennis Langley, the mastermind behind using congressional district party committees to allow PACs to send $25,000 to the Kansas Democratic Party every year when the limit is $5000? Why is Langley still actively involved in Kansas politics and fundraising when he votes in South Dakota? Read the rest of this entry …

A review of state party, recognized and congressional district committees show Democrats have a large political money edge in the state party and congressional district committees, while Republicans have an edge in the recognized Senate and House committees. Democrats continue to use a scheme to channel money to the state party, which may be technically legal, but violates the spirit of the law. This scheme allows PACs to send $25,000 to the Kansas Democratic Party every year when the limit is $5000. Read the rest of this entry …

In its Jan 10, 2008 report, the #1 Kansas PAC (from Missouri) raised over $1 million, spent almost half-a-million, and has over three-quarter million in the bank. The top 15 PACs account for nearly 60% of contributions received by PACs, about half of the expenditures, and over 55% of the PAC money in the bank for the 2008 elections. See the rankings of all 228 Kansas PACs. See the rest of this entry …

In their Jan 10, 2008 reports filed with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, 228 Kansas Political Action Committees (PACs) reported receiving a total of $4,394,938, spending $2,806,104, and collectively have $3,718,387 in the bank for the 2008 elections. Which PACs have “Errors and Omissions” in their reports that should be fixed? Read the rest of this entry …