Ethics Complaint Details Accusations Against Former Kansas Attorney General Kline

January 21, 2010 — An ethics complaint made public Tuesday alleges that former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline (R) ignored the instructions of the state's Supreme Court, misled judges and withheld information from a grand jury about his efforts to investigate a Planned Parenthood clinic and abortion provider George Tiller, the Kansas City Star reports (Klepper, Kansas City Star, 1/20). The complaint was filed last week with the state Board for Discipline of Attorneys by the board's disciplinary administrator, and a deputy (Hanna, AP/Wichita Eagle, 1/19).

The disciplinary administrator, who reports to the state Supreme Court, launched the investigation in response to allegations by a grand jury and the attorney for Tiller, who was killed in May 2009 (Kansas City Star, 1/20). While in office, Kline led an investigation into a women's health clinic run by Tiller, as well as an investigation of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Johnson County (Women's Health Policy Report, 9/23/09). Tiller was acquitted of criminal charges stemming from the investigation. The Planned Parenthood case is still before the state Supreme Court.

The complaint released Tuesday accuses Kline of "breaches of trust" in public office and of failing to comply with the state's code of conduct for attorneys. The complaint also accuses him of filing false statements with the disciplinary administrator's office. Tom Condit, Kline's attorney, pledged to fight the allegations and criticized the board for not allowing Kline to see it before it was made public (AP/Wichita Eagle, 1/19).

Kline faces a May 26 hearing before a judicial panel, which could lead to the loss of his Kansas law license. According to the Star, the outcome will have "little practical effect" on Kline, who now teaches law at Liberty University in Virginia (Kansas City Star, 1/20).