Top Dem calls for audit of Kansas agency after Star story on questionable contracts

The top Democrat in the Kansas Senate is calling for an audit of the Kansas Department of Commerce following reporting by The Kansas City Star on state contracts that went to friends and associates of the agency’s former head.

Antonio Soave, who stepped down as Gov. Sam Brownback’s Commerce secretary in June, withdrew from the congressional race in Kansas’ 2^nd District last month after The Star scrutinized state contracts that had gone to Soave’s friends and business partners during his 18-month tenure running the agency.

Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, a Topeka Democrat and the longest-serving member of the Kansas Legislature, on Friday requested an audit of Soave’s time at the agency.

“The use of the department for his personal reasons I think is very troubling. It’s what I would consider a corruptible situation and certainly unethical, if not illegal,” Hensley said Friday at a meeting at the Legislative Post-Audit Committee.

Hensley said in a phone call Friday afternoon that he thinks many Commerce employees would be eager to discuss their concerns about contracts under Soave. Hensley said that because of the limited scope of the audit he’s requested, it could be approved within the month.

The Star identified at least nine of Soave’s personal associates who landed state contracts. In addition, shortly after Soave left Brownback’s Cabinet, he accepted a job with a charity founded by the owner of a marketing company that had a more than $300,000 state contract from his agency.

After months of denial, Brownback acknowledged that concerns about those contracts played a role in his decision to terminate Soave.

Soave did not immediately comment on Hensley’s audit request, but he has denied any wrongdoing. He said in a statement in November that he followed all policies and procedures when it came to contracts.

“Each and every procurement scenario required several signatures. We were very careful to comply with all existing policies,” Soave said at the time. 　

This story was originally published December 15, 2017 at 3:49 PM with the headline "Top Dem calls for audit of Kansas agency after Star story on questionable contracts."