Mayor in Johnson County arrested, charged with felony perjury
Update: Johnson County officials are “witnesses” in mayor’s perjury case, with “no idea why.” Read the story here.
Shawnee Mayor Michelle Distler was arrested and charged with perjury, according to Johnson County District Court documents.
Distler, 47, faces a felony perjury charge. She was released on a $2,500 bond from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
According to the criminal complaint, the Johnson County District Attorney’s office alleges that on March 7, Distler did “unlawfully, feloniously, intentionally, and falsely subscribe as true and correct under penalty of perjury any material matter in any declaration, verification, certificate or statement.”
It is unclear where the charge stems from. Her first court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 5.
Distler did not immediately return a request for comment. But her attorney, Robin Fowler, said in a statement that the mayor “has cooperated fully in this investigation, and is disappointed that charges have been filed. She looks forward to all of the facts being presented in court, and to a just resolution of this case. She also wishes to express her heartfelt apology to anyone impacted by these events.”
Distler has served as mayor of Shawnee since 2015 and was reelected to a second term in November 2019. She had previously served on the City Council.
The criminal complaint includes a list of more than 30 apparent witnesses. Among the names are some city council members, former Kansas state Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe, Shawnee City Attorney Ellis Rainey, plus personnel from 911 dispatch and the Johnson County crime lab.
City spokeswoman Julie Breithaupt said in a statement that “The city was notified that the Johnson County District Attorney filed a charge against Mayor Michelle Distler on December 2, 2020. We want to reassure our community that city services and programs will not be impacted.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2020 at 3:12 PM.
