TOPEKA — Two Johnson County legislators — one seeking a higher office and one not seeking re-election — were fined today for campaign finance violations.
Sen. Kay O’Connor, an Olathe Republican running for Secretary of State, was fined $5,000 for illegally soliciting campaign contributions from lobbyists, the second time within a year that she has faced such allegations.
O’Connor acknowledged she violated the law that prohibits candidates for statewide office from seeking contributions from lobbyists while the Legislature is in session. She signed a decree with the state Governmental Ethics Commission and agreed to pay the fine it imposed.
In August, the commission fined O’Connor $3,000 for violating the same law. In both cases, O’Connor said the violation was unintentional.
Commission members said this year’s case was less serious than last year’s because O’Connor realized she made a mistake and called lobbyists herself, telling them to ignore her solicitation letter. But they said it warranted a larger fine because it was a second violation.
Rep. Patricia Kilpatrick, an Overland Park Republican, was fined $4,000 for campaign finance violations.
Kilpatrick told the commission that the mistakes she made on her last report for her 2004 campaign were the result of personal problems. She described herself as a victim of domestic violence.
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