Kansans need to be able to trust their top law enforcement officer.

Their trust in Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison has been seriously damaged this week by his acknowledged extramarital affair and allegations of sexual harassment and professional misconduct. It’s now up to Morrison to either restore the trust of his constituents or relinquish his position.

For some Kansans, Morrison’s admitted affair is reason enough for him to resign. His relationship with a member of his former staff in the Johnson County District Attorney’s office is especially egregious because of its timing. To engage in such behavior after making the decision to run for statewide office is a breach of faith with everyone who supported Morrison’s candidacy with their contributions or their votes. Such a lack of judgment certainly calls into question his fitness for office.

However, Morrison’s future as a state official will hinge not so much on his personal life as on his professional conduct. Did he illegally use his power to pressure an employee into a sexual relationship? The employee has alleged that Morrison also tried to persuade her to write letters on behalf of employees fired by Phill Kline who took over Morrison’s job as Johnson County district attorney and asked her for sensitive information about Kline’s activities. Given that Morrison no longer was her boss and had no power over her employment, did his actions qualify as more than requests?

Morrison’s decision to ask the Kansas Disciplinary Administrator’s office – headed by Lawrence resident Stan Hazlett – to investigate the allegations is a wise move, but it almost certainly won’t provide the last word on this issue. The highly charged election race between Morrison and Kline left a lot of hard feelings that already are coming to the surface. Leaders in the Kansas Republican Party, as well as in the Kansas Legislature, are not likely to let this matter drop. Kline plans to hire a special prosecutor to investigate the case, and with even fellow Democrats saying Morrison should resign if the sexual harassment or misconduct allegations are proven, Morrison is more or less standing alone against his accusers – and he brought it all on himself.

It may be unfair to declare Morrison unfit to remain in office based solely on the disputed allegations of a former lover. There is no doubt, however, that recent revelations have done serious damage to any future political aspirations of the Kansas attorney general.