Kansas chamber subpoenaed; ethics official’s ouster sought

By JOHN HANNA
AP Political Writer

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A powerful Kansas business group says it has received subpoenas from the state ethics commission for information about campaign finance activities. The disclosure Friday from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce came as Republican lawmakers moved to oust the commission’s top staffer. A chamber spokesperson said in a statement that the Governmental Ethics Commission has launched what the chamber called “an extreme fishing expedition.” It declined to comment on the exact details of the subpoenas. The statement came after GOP senators negotiating with House members over an elections bill proposed setting new qualifications for the ethics commission’s executive director that would remove the current executive director from the job.