| Caterers: Cedar Crest manager was at dinners The governor's office said last week that an employee who sent an email suggesting legislators would be discussing business at a series of legislative dinners was speculating "far outside the scope of her knowledge" of the dinners. But Emler said he didn't believe the dinner violated KOMA because the policy talk was very general — there were no specific issues or bills before the committee discussed. Quinlan said she didn't remember what was discussed at the dinners her company worked because she was focused on doing her job. Soppe also said she had no insights into the nature of the discussions. "She's been at a number of the dinners I've done there," said Soppe, who has catered there in years past as well. The office of Shawnee County District Attorney Chad Taylor is investigating the practicality of the dinners at the request of The Topeka Capital-Journal and the Kansas Press Association. At all but one of the dinners, only Republicans were invited. Brownback said during a news conference last week that he spoke extensively about his agenda at the dinners and took "questions and comments" from lawmakers, which he said was "fully appropriate. Brownback said Witte made an "inaccurate statement" in her email saying the diners would be discussing business. There is some confusion over Witte's role in the administration. But Witte identified herself as "Chief of Staff for the First Lady and Residence Manager" in a job listing for an intern posted online in September and in an email to Capital-Journal publisher Gregg Ireland sent in July. Witte's name is on all of the catering bills for the dinners, and she and Peter Northcott in the governor's office handled RSVPs for the event, which were obtained by The Capital-Journal through an open records request. Joe McLeland's secretary that McLeland shouldn't bring his wife to a Jan. 24 dinner for the House Appropriations Committee because the committee members "will spend some time discussing business during/immediately following dinner. Representatives of the three companies that catered the events at the governor's mansion said the Cedar Crest employee in question, Rebecca Witte, was present at at least two of the seven dinners, which are under investigation for possible violations of the Kansas Open Meetings Act. Sarah Quinlan, of Simply Sarah's, said Witte was at two of the three dinners she worked. "A lot of folks would say that's discussing business," he said. "She is one of the people we will seek to interview," McGowan said Friday. Lee McGowan, a spokesman for Taylor's office, said Witte isn't part of the investigation yet, but likely will be. "That has nothing to do with me," Soppe said. An employee for Brickyard Barn, the third catering company that worked the dinners, said Witte is typically at Cedar Crest events "in the background. Emler likened the governor's address at the one dinner he attended to his State of the State speech. The governor's office didn't respond to an email asking how Witte came to the conclusion that business was to be discussed at the dinners. Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler, R-Lindsborg, said Witte may have inferred that the appropriations dinner was business-related from what she saw at previous dinners. |
Monday, 2 April 2012
Caterers: Cedar Crest manager was at dinners
