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Deborah and Phill Kline after 12 days of attorney ethics hearings in Topeka
A final report from a three-member attorney ethics panel was released Thursday afternoon about the Phill Kline attorney ethics matter:
“Based upon findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the Standards …, the Hearing Panel unanimously recommends that [Phill Kline] be suspended from the practice of law for an indefinite period of time.”
Stanton Hazlett, the Disciplinary Administrator, said “Mr. Kline, under Kansas Supreme Court Rules, has the right to take exceptions to the findings. Ultimately, the Kansas Supreme Court will decide if Mr. Kline engaged in misconduct and if so, the appropriate discipline for the misconduct.”
Reached by phone at his home in Virginia, Kline acknowledged receiving the 185-page report and was studying it.
About an hour later Kline released this statement:
“The panel did what they were instructed to do. This is the latest chapter of a Sebelius appointed court covering up for a Sebelius political benefactor in order to protect the flow of hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer dollars. The Sebelius court joined Planned Parenthood to file this complaint, appointed the prosecutor, appointed the panel and will make the final decision. Our Constitution was created to end such conduct. The ethics process is being used to punish political opponents. Even so, the dominant tragedy in this saga is that through my investigation it was learned hundreds of children were sexually abused in Kansas, and Kansas has still done nothing. Nothing in the panel’s 185 page opinion can alter that truth.”
“I upheld my duty, upheld my oath of office and the integrity of my profession. My ‘mistake’ was my willingness to investigate politically powerful people and to let that investigation go where the evidence led. It is a decision, however, I would repeat and I will continue to speak and stand for the truth and for those who cannot speak for themselves.”
Kline is the former Kansas Attorney General and former Johnson County District Attorney who sought prosecution of the late Dr. George Tiller in Wichita and Planned Parenthood in Johnson County for illegal abortions.
The hearing panel consisted of Jo Ann Butaud, Republican from Shawnee, Calvin Karlin, Democrat from Lawrence, and Jeffrey Chubb, Republican from Independence.
Kline had filed a motion to disqualify Karlin because of his political contributions to Kline’s political opponents, but the motion was denied.
Chubb also had given money to a Kline political opponent in the 2002 Attorney General primary contest. In a March 2008 letter to Newsweek Chubb said conservative Republicans “do not reflect the true beliefs of most Republicans.”
Documents
Final Hearing Report (185 pages)
Statement of Disciplinary Administrator Stanton A. Hazlett
Related:
- Kline alleges ‘politics’ influenced ethics charges in closing hearing statement (day 12), Kansas Watchdog, July 23, 2011.
- Kline’s defense rests in attorney ethics case (day 10), Kansas Watchdog, July 21, 2011.
- At ethics hearing Kline says grand jury secret agreement with Planned Parenthood “killed the process” (day 9), Kansas Watchdog, July 20, 2011.
- Kan. pays $529k for defense of Kline, aides, Topeka Capital-Journal, Apr. 16, 2011.
- Chronology of Phill Kline’s Ethics Hearing (first 8 days) Feb. 21 - Mar. 2, 2011, Kansas Meadowlark.
- Background reading to prepare for Kline ethics hearing, Kansas Meadowlark, Feb. 9, 2011.
Contact: Earl F Glynn, earl@kansaswatchdog.org, KansasWatchdog.org
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