On Wednesday, at the monthly meeting of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, Executive Director Carol Williams explained three changes to ethics laws in Kansas recently enacted by the Kansas legislature.
Continue reading about New Ethics Laws Enacted by the Kansas Legislature
After a secret Executive Session held by telephone conference call today, the Ethics Commission announced the complaint was being dropped against Kris Van Meteren for violation of Ethics Commission confidentiality rules. Van Meteren was fined $7500 in Feb. by the Ethics Commission.
The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission released an opinion from the Attorney General’s office about [...]
Kris Van Meteren was fined $7500 by the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in February in somewhat of an unusual case.
In March Van Meteren filed a law suit in Shawnee County District Court asking for judicial review of the case.
There was secret hour-long Executive Session during the April Ethics Commission meeting, with a member of the [...]
The Ethics Commission announced this morning a change in the location and the agenda for their monthly meeting scheduled for Wednesday. The meeting is back in the Commission’s conference room and will now only be a telephone conference call.
One big item has been dropped from the current agenda: The public hearing of complaint No. 443 [...]
Continue reading about Big Agenda Change in Ethics Commission Meeting on Wednesday
Mark Simpson was introduced as a new member of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission at its meeting last week. Simpson was appointed by Kansas House Minority Leader, Paul Davis, and replaced Carol Zimmerman on the Commission.
Simpson gave this short introduction to other members of the Commission:
“I live in Lawrence … I’m an Assistant District Attorney [...]
After a second secret executive session today, the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission announced that one of the hearings next month will involve the Kansas Speaker of the House, Mike O’Neal (R-Hutchinson).
The Ethics complaint alleges that that O’Neal violated Kansas law “by advocating or causing the transfer of employment as well as participating in an action [...]
Continue reading about Kansas Speaker of the House Faces Ethics Hearing Next Month
At the March 18 Kansas Governmental Ethics meeting, the Commission passed a motion to make available the documentation from the Kris Van Meteren case from February to the Attorney General and the Shawnee County District Attorney. The information was to only be released if requested.
Ethics Commission chair, Sabrina Standifer, announced “… [...]
Continue reading about Van Meteren to appeal $7500 Fine for Free Speech in District Court
Today the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission meeting included a public hearing on a complaint against Carrol Haggard, a communications professor at Ft. Hays State University. Prof. Haggard failed to file a conflict of interest report, known as a Statement of Substantial Interests (SSI), which was due on April 30, 2008.
Continue reading about Fort Hays Prof Fined $300 by Ethics Commission
A recent Meadowlark article, “Free Speech” May Cost Kansas Citizen $7500, gave details from a civil fine hearing held by the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in January, which was decided at their February meeting.
Kris Van Meteren brought a complaint to the Ethics Commission several months ago, and then talked to the press about his [...]
Continue reading about More Info on Van Meteren “Free Speech” Ethics Case
The Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (often called the McCain-Feingold Act) allows state and local political parties to use nonfederal funds for the purchase or construction of party office buildings. McCain-Feingold said that state law governs exclusively in regulating spending on state and local party buildings. Prior to McCain-Fiengold, this was never an issue [...]
