Topeka — Gov. Sam Brownback acknowledged Friday that he set up private meetings with Republican legislators at his official residence to discuss his agenda, but he rejected suggestions that lawmakers were invited to discuss business or that the gatherings violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act.
The Republican governor said the manager of his residence “made an inaccurate statement” by telling a GOP legislator’s office assistant that business would be discussed at a dinner at Cedar Crest. Brownback said his aides and legislators monitored such gatherings to ensure lawmakers didn’t violate the law that prohibits a voting majority of a legislative body from discussing government business without giving the public notice or access to the meetings.
Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor, a Democrat, is investigating seven gatherings in January at Cedar Crest. Brownback invited more than 90 of the state’s 165 legislators to the dinners, and some of them said he made brief remarks about legislative issues and took a few questions.
Brownback’s invitations for the January gatherings grouped lawmakers by committees. All but one of the legislators invited were Republicans, and the lone Democratic lawmaker who received an invitation has said she assumed it was a mistake and didn’t go.
“I invited people out. I was going to tell people — and did — about the legislative agenda, and I spoke about it, and I spoke a lot about it,” Brownback said during a Statehouse news conference. “That’s not inappropriate for that to take place.”
Many legislators who participated described the events as social dinners.
But in a Jan. 17 email to Rep. Joe McLeland’s office assistant, the residential manager for Cedar Crest, Rebecca Witte, wrote, “The committee members will spend some time discussing business during/immediately following dinner.”
Brownback said Witte was not in a position to offer that response.
“She kind of manages the operations at Cedar Crest,” Brownback said. “She’s not involved in any of the policy formation or work of this, of my office.”
McLeland’s assistant had emailed Witte to ask if spouses were also invited to a Jan. 24 dinner for members of the House Appropriations Committee. Witte responded that while some had attended past events, the intent was not to invite them.
Brownback spokeswoman Sherriene Jones-Sontag said Witte would not give interviews because of the ongoing investigation and that the manager had speculated “far outside the scope of her knowledge.”
The email was among more than 300 pages of documents obtained from the administration Friday by The Associated Press. The Topeka Capital-Journal previously obtained the same records through an open records request and reported Witte’s email Friday.
Most of the documents were responses from legislators’ offices to invitations to the meetings in January and to two other bipartisan gatherings in February that are not under investigation. Witte’s email appears to be the only document among those released that suggests business would be discussed.
Brownback’s office said there are no records of communications between Witte and staffers in the governor’s office about the nature of the events. Jones-Sontag declined to say what documents have been turned over to Taylor’s office, citing the ongoing investigation.
Taylor has said the Kansas Open Meetings Act does not apply to Brownback as an individual, and that the alleged violations are civil, not criminal, matters. Officials who knowingly break the law can be fined up to $500 per incident. But typically, a case leads to an order or agreement spelling out what steps officials will take to avoid future violations.
Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler, a Lindsborg Republican who attended one of the January meetings, said Friday that the disclosure of Witte’s email doesn’t change his view that the gatherings were social events.
Emler said Brownback did briefly discuss his agenda for the year.
“So that could be construed as business,” Emler said. “In terms of negotiating the nitty-gritty stuff, I didn’t see it as that kind of business — that we would do in committee.”
Comments
pace 2 years ago
With their majority, why sneak around and break the open meetings laws. Just stupid, stupid to lie about it too. NO business was discussed, cmon.
mikekt 2 years ago
In fact there is a reason why the public and the media weren't invited to Cedar Crest for "Sams' Big Diner Meetings". You see, Brownback has been getting top secret briefings from aids who are constantly monitoring the internet who have picked up internet chatter about a planned invasion of Kansas by the state of Nebraska!!! This war is going to begin with a deadly first strike by the Nebraskans who plan to take Topeka in the first 24 hrs..... with a sack & burn of Cedar Crest!!! No less!!!! Anyway, Sam was just holding some secret meeting with key members of his party to plan a surprise attack of his own on Nebraska & he didn't invite the Democrats because he cosiders them to be devil worshipers, sworn enemies of God, the Great State of Kansas & his allies; the Koch Brothers. So now you can see, Sam is in Control of everything at Cedar Crest,......and those back stabbing Nebraskans will pay for their treachery!!!!!.... also, they are keeping a careful eye on Mexico just in case we have to invade them......and you thought that all of those illegals were housekeepers, landscapers & roofers.....they're actually sneaky spies for Mexico,.... You Know!!!! So, Everything is under control,...Alice. And Sam is working hard to make sure that those Nebraskans don't drop a house on you!
nugget 2 years ago
This is what happens when there's a total imbalance of power. Followed by corruption. Happens in both parties and anyone that denies it is just spinning lies.
LHS1980 2 years ago
So, let me get this straight...the AG has his own PAC...a construction crony is now in charge of your highway funds..and now the "social gatherings:".. Do as I say, not as I do people...
JackMcKee 2 years ago
Up is down, black is white, hot is cold. Thanks for making us all much dumber, Sammy.
verity 2 years ago
“She kind of manages the operations at Cedar Crest,” ????
Kind of manages ? ? ?
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus 2 years ago
The law doesn't apply to Brownback, so he's free to invite (did they really have the choice of declining?) lawmakers to a dinner in which he clearly expects them to violate the law.
Now that's integrity. (heavy sarcasm)
4getabouit 2 years ago
Brownback,the big time Christian,is a phony, a cheat, and liar. The mere mention of his name sickens me.
Katara 2 years ago
I'd say that if spouses were not intended to be invited, it seems less a social dinner.
Bob_Keeshan 2 years ago
For weeks, Brownback's staff has called the meetings social gatherings.
Guess they changed their minds.
deec 2 years ago
"I invited people out. I was going to tell people — and did —about the legislative agenda, and I spoke about it, and I spoke a lot about it," Brownback said Emler said Brownback did briefly discuss his agenda for the year.." So which is it? A few brief remarks or the guv spoke at length? They need to learn to consult before lying. Or they would if they cared at all what anyone thought.
Warning, strong language http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXWzSwZ_wPs
observant 2 years ago
Do you believe anything brownie says?
Paul R Getto 2 years ago
In his radio interview the Governor said he spoke, then took questions and comments from the legislators. This is interactive communication, someting KOMA prohibits without a chance for the public to observe these communications.....BUSTED!
Greg Cooper 2 years ago
In other news: "I did not have sex with that woman."
Tracy Rogers 2 years ago
"Are they claiming no business was discussed, or that the governor is exempt?"
Yes.
Gotta cover all the bases, you know.
jafs 2 years ago
They should get their stories straight.
Are they claiming no business was discussed, or that the governor is exempt?
This way, it sounds funny - like they're saying we didn't do it, and it wasn't illegal for the governor to do it.
observant 2 years ago
Headline should read Governor's Ex Mansion Manager.
SDTPlant 2 years ago
"Mrs. Witte misinformed Rep. McLeland's office and she very much regrets this," the statement said.
Blah, blah, blah. I'll bet she regrets this all the way to the unemployment office! That's politics. By the way, clearly this is a violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act. I don't care what spin you (Brownbackers) attempt to put on it.
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