Kan. Gov. Faces Ethics Probe Over E-Mail

[Rose Siding]

TOPEKA, Kan. -- A state ethics commission is investigating allegations that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius' re-election campaign illegally solicited contributions from lobbyists.

A spokeswoman for the Democratic governor confirmed Friday that the Governmental Ethics Commission staff had discussed an e-mail with Sebelius' campaign committee. The commission is expected to take up the matter when it meets next Thursday, spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said.

Under Kansas law, it is illegal for a legislator or state official to solicit contributions from lobbyists while the Legislature is in session.

The email was "an update on schools" that was sent while legislators were still debating funding issues, Corcoran said.

"Despite their best efforts, this list may have inadvertently included the e-mail addresses of ineligible individuals," she told The Associated Press Friday.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-kansas-governor-ethics,0,6546093.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[saltpoint]

1. Here's hoping this will not wound Gov. Sebelius' standing in Kansas.

I like her a lot.

[kainah]

2. I'm immediately suspicious

She's been very high profile lately with lots of articles about how much she is liked, how she is expected to cruise to re-election, and how she might be a good candidate for VP in 2008. Now, suddenly, she's under investigation?

Color me suspicious.

[saltpoint]

3. I trust your instinct here. It could very well be a swiftboat deal

at least in the tip-off level.

[kainah]

4. after reading the article

It sounds like it could be a real, fairly innocent, but technically illegal, error on her part.

But two things in the article (AP) continue to make me suspicious about how this came out:

The newspaper, which first reported the ethics investigation in the campaign, said three lobbyists gave it a copy of the email.

snip...

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft, a Republican, is now considered vulnerable in his re-election bid because of an ethics scandal involving his failure to report free golf outings and other gifts. Taft pleaded no contest to four misdemeanor ethics reporting violations last year and was fined $4,000.

Who were the lobbyists that told the press? And is this really deserving of any, even remote, comparison to Bob Taft (who, notice, is just "considered vulnerable")? Of course not. But let's get it out there.