From RedState: Jenkins Violates Spirit of Election Law

How on Earth we missed this, we cannot say, but here is a broadside against Lynn Jenkins from a conservative blogger over at RedState:

There is a particular tenet in Kansas election law that has, in the past, caught up a number of state elected officials: It's against state law to solicit or accept contributions from registered state lobbyists during the legislative session.

In the 2006 election cycle the law caught three people running statewide- two Republicans and one Democrat. That Democrat, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, recently did it again- though all three said it was an error, and I'm inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Now, it appears yet another statewide elected official in Kansas is rubbing dangerously close to breaking the same law- except she knows exactly what she's doing.

Since announcing her candidacy for Congress, Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins has accepted 17 contributions from 14 registered state lobbyists, with 7 of those donations coming while the state legislature was in session.

How is it, then, that Jenkins isn't violating the same law Sebelius is being raked over the coals for breaking?

It's a game a CPA like Jenkins is particularly good at playing, because it all has to do with where the money gets funneled. If even a single cent of those donations had ended up in her state-level account, Jenkins would be a cooked goose, but since they shoved the contributions over to her federal campaign, she's clean.

Is this why we need an accountant in Congress? Just to make sure we have someone who knows the loopholes inside and out?

So, no, Jenkins isn't breaking the law, but she's violating its spirit. The people of Kansas, through their elected officials, decided long ago it was wrong for sitting state elected officials to take money from state lobbyists, and made it illegal for officials to solicit or receive such funds. It's even illegal for the lobbyists themselves to even try to give state candidates contributions while the legislature is in session. It is all out of an effort to make sure our elected officials were working for us and not for the lobbyists who were lining their pockets.

Jenkins has cunningly squeaked passed the prohibition by funneling the money into a different account, but an important question has to be asked: As she's filling her coffers trying to get a new job representing us in Congress, who has she been working for at her current job as State Treasurer- the people of Kansas who elected her, or the lobbyists stuffing her pockets with cash?

(Research from Open Secrets and the Kansas Secretary of State)

Oh, Lynn!

KTKA calls Lynn Jenkins out on being paranoid

Since the story broke in the Kansas City Star, Lynn Jenkins has been racked over the coals by this blog and two of the major TV stations in Topeka for what the Ryun campaign (rightly) calls unethical campaign ads being paid for by people Lynn kindly awarded with a multi-million dollar state contract.

Yesterday we published the e-mail Lynn Jenkins sent out to her supporters asking them to vote in a poll on the KTKA web site- in hopes, of course, that they would sway the poll and prevent her from public embarrassment. By the time we even knew there was a poll, it was too late, and Lynn's minions had already effected their rigging.

No matter. KTKA comes back today with a piece by Jesse Fray, that does a fine job explaining what it is Jenkins has done, and what her Republican opponent, Jim Ryun, has to say about it:

We agree wholeheartedly with both Mr. Robertson (that's got to stop...) and Mr. Smith- it's obvious Jenkins knows she's done something wrong, or she wouldn't be trying so hard to fix it, and it's obvious that Lynn Jenkins is the most paranoid candidate running for anything in Kansas in 2008. Her e-mail attacking Ryun was over the top, and her efforts to prevent the public from being heard on KTKA's poll were foolish.

It's all par for the course, though- like we said yesterday, she's overreacted every time she's been confronted with a "campaign crisis." Tell me, how much confidence does that instill in all of you folks with her ability to deal with real problems. It's scares the hell out of all of us

KC Star: Jenkins unethical ties to firm called into question

In a story this blog broke weeks ago, the Kansas City Star has finally reported on State Treasurer Lynn Jenkins and her unethical ties to a firm running TV ads in Kansas featuring her smiling face.

The ads, paid for by a company called American Century, tout the college savings program "Learning Quest" which is administered through Lynn's office. While none of us are convinced Jenkins actually has anything to do with the program's operation in Kansas, we will say it's important, and we're happy Kansas families have access to it.

With that said, the TV ads are nothing more than campaign spots.

Ah, but splashing her face all over her district isn't the only thing American Century has done for Lynn Jenkins:

American Century’s then-CEO also donated to Jenkins’ campaign to be re-elected treasurer shortly before Jenkins extended the company’s contract in 2006. A lobbyist for American Century has contributed to Jenkins’ congressional campaign and her state treasurer bids. [Emphasis ours].

“It raises serious ethical questions of outside corporate interests in a federal election,” said Kyle Robertson, the campaign manager for Jenkins’ GOP primary opponent, former U.S. Rep. Jim Ryun.

Understand how much it pains us to say this, but Robertson is right. This is blatantly unethical, and a outright violation of the spirit of every campaign finance reform law passed in the last decade.

Jenkins, of course, sees nothing wrong with the ads, but that's just another examples of her cluelessness when it comes to the issues important to the people of her district. We want our politicians to be honest and to play by the rules, and these ads clearly give her an unfair advantage. That, of course, ignores the more serious ethical question: Did the contract with American Century get renewed by the Office of the Kansas Treasurer because Lynn was promised kickbacks, or were the donations just "thank yous" for making her fat cat friends even more weathly?

The company says it just might decide to run the ads again just before the general election in November, should Jenkins be the nominee. We're calling on Lynn Jenkins to publicly tell American Century, "thanks, but no thanks," and to direct them to stop ads and mailings that featuring her for the duration of her campaign for Congress.

Do the right thing, Lynn, and keep this race on the up-and-up. Tell American Century to keep their money.

(Or, you could do what the people of Kansas really deserve: Resign the office of treasurer. At least that way we can have a treasurer that we know is working for us and not their own personal ambition).