First Round of Ethics Investigation of Former Kan. AG Phill Kline Ends

March 7, 2011 — The first round of ethics hearings investigating Phill Kline (R) ended this week, the Kansas City Star reports. The hearings involve the former Kansas attorney general and Johnson County district attorney's investigation of a Planned Parenthood affiliate and a clinic run by abortion provider George Tiller, who was murdered in May 2009. The hearings will continue on July 19 and last four days (Cooper, Kansas City Star, 3/3).

The disciplinary administrator of the state Board of Discipline of Attorneys contends that Kline lied to the state Supreme Court about whether he was seeking the identities of women who had obtained abortions, selectively presented information to a Johnson County grand jury investigating Tiller, mishandled medical records and discussed active cases on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor." Kline accused abortion providers in the state of violating the law and not reporting pregnancies of minors and had sought patient medical records. The investigation began shortly after Kline became attorney general in 2003 and continued when he became district attorney in 2007 (Women's Health Policy Report, 2/22).

After testifying for more than 20 hours in the eight-day hearing, Kline and his attorney, Reid Holbrook, submitted a motion asking for the complaint to be dismissed. The disciplinary administrator has 14 days to respond to Kline's motion, and Kline will then have 14 days to respond to the administrator. Kline said his legal tactics in his efforts to bring charges against Tiller and Planned Parenthood were sound. Holbrook said the hearing has gone on for so long because the charges are ill-defined.

A panel of three lawyers will decide whether Kline violated ethics rules, in which case he will be disciplined by the state Supreme Court. Punishment ranges from censure to disbarment (Kansas City Star, 3/3).