Kansas Republican Scandals | Updated List of GOP Scandals in KS

Scandal Categories

Kansas Republican U.S. Congress Member & Candidate Scandals

  • Steve WatkinsSteve WatkinsFmr. U.S. Representative [R-KS]95.3% Voted with Trump
    7/14/20
    Illegally used a local UPS store as his legal address for voting purposes in violation of state election law
    According to charging documents filed by local officials
    10/26/18
    Engaged in multiple extramarital affairs which an acquaintance described as being "out of control" while professing in public to be a "family man" who was devoted to his wife
    According to multiple verified sources in an investigative report by The Topeka Capital-Journal
    10/26/18
    Touched a female Army contractor without her consent and unsuccessfully tried to get her to have sex with him in a room he had just locked while also being married
    According to accuser Chelsea Scarlett and reported on by the Topeka Capital-Journal

Kansas Republican Executive Branch Scandals

  • Arlyn BriggsArlyn BriggsFmr. Gov. Candidate [R-KS]
       
    6/27/22
    Called the local police department to warn that he "may shoot" police officers if they attempted to enter his home and arrest a wanted man he was harboring
    According to charging documents filed by local officials

Kansas Republican Judge Scandals

  • Laura ViarLaura ViarState Judge [R-KS]
       
    8/17/23
    Ran off the road and crashed into a school building while driving under the influence of alcohol and on a suspended license and refused to take a breathalyzer when police arrived while also being a member of her local county's Anti-Drug Task Force
    According to charging documents filed by local police
    8/16/23
    Drove under the influence of alcohol and was arrested by police after getting pulled over and later had her diversion agreement extended by six months because she failed to undergo mandatory drug and alcohol evaluations
    According to an exclusive report by the Wichita Eagle

Kansas Republican State Legislator Scandals

  • Gene SuellentropState Senator [R-KS]
       
    3/16/21
    Led police on a high-speed chase going upwards of 90 miles per hour while driving the wrong direction on an interstate highway around 1am and only stopped after he drove over tire-deflating spikes, threatened to physically "take" on arresting officers, slurred his speech so badly that police had a hard time understanding him and forced officials to get a warrant to conduct a BAC test which was still over twice the legal limit three hours after his arrest
    According to charging documents filed by local police
  • Phil HermansonFmr. State Representative [R-KS]
       
    7/09/10
    Crashed into a car stopped at a red light so forcefully that it totaled the car and required both occupants to go to the hospital while under the influence of alcohol and prescription drugs and refused a breathalyzer test which resulted in his arrest
    According to charging documents filed by local police
  • Adam ThomasState Representative [R-KS]
       
    9/06/18
    Lied on an official document by attesting that a campaign donor's home he and his family were temporarily residing in was his official address which allowed him to run for a state congressional district that he otherwise wouldn't have been able to since his permanent address was outside district lines
    According to charging documents filed by local officials
  • Mark SamselState Representative [R-KS]
       
    5/02/21
    Forcefully pushed and kneed a teenage high school student in the testicles after telling the boy he's about to "get the wrath of God" and then instructed another student to "check his nuts" as he laid on the ground in pain while he was working as a substitute teacher at a local public high school
    According to charging documents filed by local police
  • Suzi CarlsonState Representative [R-KS]
       
    3/02/22
    Weaved through traffic lanes before being pulled over and cited for driving under the influence of alcohol
    According to arresting documents filed by local police
  • Michael CappsFmr. State Representative [R-KS]
       
    2021 09
    Illegally took $355,550 in state and federal COVID relief by falsely claiming the money would go to pay nonexistent employee's salaries
    According to charging documents by federal prosecutors

Kansas Republican Mayor Scandals

  • Hunter LarkinMayor [R-KS]
       
    9/27/22
    Weaved in and out of his lane around 1:30am and then failed a field sobriety test after police pulled him over
    According to arresting documents filed by local police

Other Kansas Republican Scandals

  • Matthew PennellMatthew PennellFmr. Political Aide [R-KS]
       
    3/07/15
    Had 17+ images and videos of young children depicting various sex acts on his home computer
    According to charging documents filed by local officials
  • Joshua WheelerFmr. Political Aide [R-KS]
       
    6/01/05
    Attempted to enter the US Capitol with an unregistered handgun that Capitol Police found during a security check
    According to charging documents filed by Capitol Police