Sebelius objects to new sheriff

Smith County chooses Murphy, who was previously forced to resign

Smith Center ? Gov. Kathleen Sebelius doesn’t like the new sheriff in town, but there’s nothing she can do about it.

Last week, the Smith County Republican Central Committee picked Ellsworth Murphy to replace Smith County Sheriff Andy Holmes, whose resignation became effective Sunday after he served little more than six months in office.

Murphy was sheriff from 1989 to 1991 before being forced to resign.

He was convicted of official misconduct in office and one misdemeanor count of illegal eavesdropping for putting an electronic device at the home of then-Smith Center Police Chief Karen Bortz.

John Colwell, county GOP chairman, said he received a faxed letter from the Democratic governor’s office Tuesday urging the party to withdraw Murphy’s name and nominate “someone who will uphold the standards expected of law enforcement officers.” Colwell said there is no plan to nominate anyone else.

But Arleta Conaway, county GOP vice chairman, told The Hays Daily News the party planned a Wednesday night meeting in response to the governor’s criticism.

Conaway said the meeting was to address rules not followed when Murphy was nominated. The meeting later was canceled.

Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said the governor won’t sign off on the nomination.

“If this still moves ahead, this will be the only certificate to go through without the governor’s signature,” she said.

By law, Murphy becomes sheriff seven days after the governor’s office receives the certificate of nomination, with or without her signature. That means Murphy will take office next week.

“He becomes sheriff seven days after the appointment. It’s submitted to the governor, but if she doesn’t sign off, he still becomes sheriff,” Whitney Watson, spokesman for Atty. Gen. Phill Kline, said Wednesday.

Murphy wouldn’t discuss details about the charges or what led to them.

“This stuff is all in the past, and it doesn’t affect anything now,” Murphy told The Salina Journal. “We can’t change the past, but we can change the future, and that is what I am trying to do.”