TOPEKA, Kansas -- Governor Sam Brownback held seven legislative dinners in January for 13 specific committees.Democratic leaders say the groups invited, is raising concern on if the Kansas Open Meetings Act was violated.
"It was just a dinner, it really was just a dinner,” said Rep. Joseph Scapa, a Wichita Republican.
Rep. Scapa attended two of the dinners. Those private meetings are now under fire by Democrats and the Shawnee County district attorney who question if the dinners violated the Open Meetings Act.
“This was not publicly known until the meetings happened and then people started coming back and said, ‘That's kind of odd that no Democrats were there,’” said Rep. Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat.
Critics say the meetings raise eyebrows because those invited were all Republican members of 13 committees.
“What causes concern is when he selects only a certain group of legislators, Republicans and invites them to a meeting without notifying no one else or the minority party,” Ward added.
Republicans contend that no laws were broken. They are fireing back at Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor for his investigation into the meetings.
“There are no records,” Rep. Scapa said. “It was a dinner. We went out there for dinner and the governor talked, as do most governors when they invite people out for dinner."
Governor Brownback's office is confident no one was in the wrong. His chief counsel wrote Taylor back.
The letter said: “The governor did remind and admonish everyone present at the beginning of each legislative dinner that legislative committees must be aware of and comply with all open meetings act requirements.”
Meantime, Democrats welcome an investigation and Taylor says dozens of legislators will be questioned.
"We don't prosecute Democrats, we don't prosecute Republicans, we prosecute people who break the law and that's really how I look at this situation,” Taylor said.
Taylor sent letters to every House and Senate member and is hoping for a response by Tuesday.
He said his office plans to question dozens of legislators by Valentine's Day.
