JEFFERSON CITY, MO. ? Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius was momentarily taken to a safe room last week at a Missouri Democratic Party fundraiser after concerns were raised that a fundraising consultant had a gun, police and party officials said Tuesday.

Sebelius, who was the keynote speaker at the Friday evening event in St. Louis, was placed in a safe room after someone on the event staff said there was a possible threat, Missouri State Highway Patrol spokesman Capt. Tim Hull said.

The patrol provides security for Missouri’s governor and also assists when other governors visit the state.

The heightened security occurred after an event volunteer reported seeing a handgun at the St. Louis apartment of Matt Lieberman, a Democratic Party fundraising consultant who helped plan the event, said party spokesman Jack Cardetti. Law enforcement officials talked to Lieberman, determined he did not have a weapon with him and allowed him to remain at the event, Cardetti said.

“When you have a room of 900 people, including a governor and U.S. senator and lots of public officials, you want to make absolutely clear that there is not a gun at that event,” Cardetti said.

Lieberman declined through Cardetti to comment.

Sebelius spokeswoman Nicole Corcoran said the governor already was headed to a private holding room to prepare for the banquet speech and did not change her schedule as a result of the incident. At no time was Sebelius concerned, she said.

“Once they checked into it, it was deemed not to be a threat at all,” Corcoran said.

St. Louis police spokesman Richard Wilkes said officers did not file a report about the incident.

The Missouri Democratic Party Jefferson-Jackson Dinner raised about $500,000 for the state party, Cardetti said.