LJWorld.com

Topeka — After numerous complaints about shadowy groups influencing the Republican Party primary through last-minute campaign contributions, Kansas ethics officials said Thursday it may be time to increase disclosure of campaign finance in state races.

"With the laws as they are now, we really can't do our job," said Dan Sevart, chairman of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.

Under current state law, expenditures in state races made 10 days before Election Day or later are not required to be reported until months later. And expenditures made on so-called "issue ads" are not required to be publicly disclosed.

"We all know that is when the money is spent," Sevart said of the last-minute advertising. "And nobody knows who has spent how much before they go to vote."

Carol Williams, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said legislation that would require electronic filing of campaign contributions right up until the election would give the public an idea who or what group was behind a candidate.

"This would have been very helpful in Kansas this year," she said.

During the Aug. 3 GOP primary, groups supporting both conservative and moderate Republicans spent what appeared to be hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of their candidates. Conservative anti-tax groups were the most successful, knocking off several moderate Republicans who supported tax increases for education during the past legislative session.

"We were flooded with calls," Williams said of voters wanting to know who was behind the slick campaign mailouts and radio ads. "We'll know on the 25th of October." That is the date late campaign contributions from the primary must be reported under current state law -- and nearly two months after voters could have weighed the information before entering the voting booth.

Shelby Smith, a lobbyist and former lieutenant governor, said Kansas should strengthen its campaign finance laws.

Kansans left in dark about political donors (8-22-04) On the street: Should the public know who is donating money to political candidates in Kansas? Federal races pull cash from city (8-15-04) Funding questions dog GOP primary (8-13-04)

"Pure and simple, this is all about disclosure," Smith told the commission. "It is a problem distorting Kansas politics; non-Kansans interfering in local politics. If left unchecked, long range, disastrous and unforeseen consequences will haunt our proud and independent-spirited Kansas."

Smith said the unknown campaign financing reached even to Republican precinct races.

Williams said her office received numerous complaints of unfair campaign brochures in precinct races, but noted the state has no authority over the contests.

She also said the commission should consider requiring reporting of expenditures on issue ads and requiring groups conducting pre-recorded phone-message campaigns to identify themselves. The use of anonymous phone-calling campaigns has increased, Williams said, as has the negative nature of the messages.

She said she hoped the commission would have a recommendation by December for the Legislature to consider during the 2005 session.