Fraud claim upends KS governor hopeful’s campaign
Hello, Star readers.
Today, we’re diving into the accusations of financial deception levied against a Johnson County man running for governor of Kansas. It’s not the first time he’s been accused.
Next, we’ll get into:
• Bailey’s replacement: With Andrew Bailey on his way to D.C., Missouri’s next attorney general will be the first woman to serve as the state’s top lawyer.
• ICE prison hiring: Despite a judge’s ruling that the Leavenworth immigrant detention center can’t open, CoreCivic has already started hiring workers.
This week in politics
Doug Billings, an Olathe podcaster running in the crowded Republican gubernatorial primary, has come under fire for allegedly soliciting money from a supporter to pay for campaign software that he never bought.
A review of documents shows Billings’ campaign received a $2,700 quote for software days before the candidate was written a check for the same amount of money. The subject line of that check reads, “Software,” but Billings says the donation was actually intended to support his podcast.
In an interview, Billings’ former campaign treasurer Joel Goedken called his former boss “a habitual liar” and said he never mentioned receiving the $2,700 check.
“This not only placed the entire campaign in jeopardy but also exposed me, particularly in my capacity as treasurer, to serious legal risk, including potential fines or even jail time,” Goedken said.
He and other top Billings staffers left the campaign last month, and April McCoy, Billings’ pick for lieutenant governor, filed paperwork seeking to have her name removed from the ballot.
Public records show Billings was previously convicted in 2010 of felony theft of between $25,000 and $100,000. Court records no longer exist because Billings’ record was expunged, and he declined to provide information about the circumstances of his arrest.
More from this past week
• Will Missouri join other red states that have deployed National Guard troops to D.C.? Gov. Mike Kehoe had this to say.
• State GOP chair claims Johnson County Republican Party headquarters were the target of a failed arson attack.
• A local coffee chain is suing IHOPKC, claiming the ministry’s handling of a sex abuse scandal involving founder Mike Bickle cost it business.
Looking for more?
• For more politics news, follow @bymatthewkelly.bsky.social, @kacen.bsky.social, and @grice1911.bsky.social.
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That’s all for now! See you next week.
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