Topeka ? Atty. Gen. Phill Kline on Thursday was fined $1,500 for a violation of the state campaign finance law.

Kline described the violation as an “honest mistake” and noted that his office self-reported the violation as soon as he became aware of it.

After a 15-minute hearing, the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission met in closed session for about 15 minutes, and then emerged and unanimously approved the fine.

“Just treat this as your contribution to good government,” said Commissioner John Solbach, of Lawrence.

“The commission did their job,” Kline said after the fine was levied.

Kline faced a maximum fine of $5,000.

Commission Chairwoman Sabrina Standifer, of Wichita, said the fact that Kline’s office self-reported and cooperated in the investigation probably were factors for not levying a higher fine.

“His office did self-report. They were very cooperative during the investigation. And that is very important to the commission,” Standifer said.

The dispute was over mailed invitations to a fundraising reception on Feb. 28 in Wichita that benefited Kline and featured former U.S. attorney general John Ashcroft.

Some of the invitations were sent to lobbyists. Under Kansas law, state officeholders are prohibited from asking lobbyists, businesses, political action committees, political parties and unions for campaign contributions from Jan. 1 until the legislative session officially ends, which is usually in late May.

“There is a clear violation here,” said Donna Voth, general counsel for the Commission.

Kline said the invitations should not have been sent to lobbyists, but that the company that did the mailout – The Source – and a political consultant – Dave Kensinger – apparently failed to purge the mailout lists of lobbyists.

Bill Beightel, investigator for the Ethics Commission, said Kris Van Meteren, owner of The Source, was told to send the invitations to “high-dollar donors.”

The fundraiser was a reception at a private home in Wichita and cost $250 per person to attend the reception with Ashcroft and $1,000 to have a photograph taken with Ashcroft.

The invitation included a disclaimer that said certain interests couldn’t contribute during the legislative session.

Solbach said the disclaimer bothered him.

“Why the disclaimer, if you’re not soliciting lobbyists?,” he said.

“I do think it was an honest mistake but the candidate has to take responsibility for that, and he did.”

Kline said the disclaimer was put on the invitations as added insurance to avoid soliciting from people who couldn’t be asked for money.

Last year, the Ethics Commission fined two legislators for soliciting campaign contributions from lobbyists during the legislative session.

In August, Sen. Kay O’Connor, R-Olathe, was fined $3,000 when she sent letters in April to about 150 people, including 17 lobbyists, concerning her potential campaign for secretary of state. O’Connor denied any wrongdoing.

A month earlier, House Speaker Pro Tem Ray Merrick, R-Stilwell, was fined $1 for a similar offense. But Merrick reported the problem to the Ethics Commission, saying the invitations for a June fundraiser were inadvertently mailed early while he was on a hunting trip.