Democrats in the Kansas House demanded Feb. 24 that its Republican speaker remove himself and his law firm from a lawsuit against the state, threatening “formal action” if he doesn’t comply.
Six Democrats sent a letter to Speaker Mike O’Neal, a Hutchinson Republican, criticizing him for representing businesses, trade groups and insurance funds in the lawsuit. House Minority Leader Paul Davis, of Lawrence, one of the six, said Democrats are considering filing a complaint to force the House to investigate what they believe is a conflict of interest.
O’Neal dismissed the attacks on him as “very partisan” and said Democrats have yet to show him a law or rule suggesting his involvement in the lawsuit is improper.
He filed the lawsuit in January in Shawnee County District Court for 17 clients, challenging a financial move used last year to help balance the state budget. Most of O’Neal’s clients are industry workers’ compensation funds, but they include the Kansas Bankers Association, the Kansas Realtors Association and a Wichita company doing business as Speedy Cash.
“Your clients are some of the most influential special interest groups in Kansas politics and have business before the Legislature regularly,” the Democrats’ letter said. “This is about propriety and public trust.”
O’Neal repeatedly has disputed the idea that representing clients in the lawsuit creates conflicts of interests from him as the House’s top leader. He said Democrats can’t show any specific instance of him using his power as speaker to help the clients bringing the lawsuit.
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