Candidate for mayor may have misrepresented himself as CPA

Sam Williams, one of the leading candidates in the Wichita mayoral race, may have misrepresented his status as a certified public accountant, a possible violation of state law.

Williams, the leading fundraiser in the race, has consistently used the title “CPA” in his campaign mailers and other materials. But Williams hasn’t held a CPA license since 1990, in Utah, and was never licensed as a CPA in Kansas, according to public records.

That could run him afoul of a state law that says: “It is unlawful for any person, except the holder of a valid (CPA) certificate or practice privilege … to use or assume the title ‘certified public accountant’ or to use the abbreviation CPA or any other title, designation, words, letters, abbreviation, sign, card or device likely to be confused with ‘certified public accountant.’ ”

Violation of that statute is a misdemeanor, carrying a potential penalty of a $5,000 fine and a year in jail.

Williams’ campaign manager, Jason Watkins, said he doesn’t think there will be a legal issue because Williams is in fact a retired CPA and was only using that designation to state his qualifications for mayor, not to drum up business as an accountant.

Watkins works as a lobbyist for the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce; Williams is a former president of the Chamber.

When Williams moved to Wichita about 25 years ago to join the advertising firm of Sullivan, Higdon and Sink, he allowed his CPA certification to expire because “he was no longer basically providing CPA services to the public,” Watkins said.

“I understand what that statute says,” said Watkins, a former state legislator. “Our point is this is political speech, and I would argue that the courts have held that political speech is … very well protected.

“If this was commercial speech and he was trying to solicit business for a CPA firm, that would be a different story. That’s not what he’s doing. Nobody’s even alleged that. … This is political speech talking about past experience and why he’s qualified to be the next mayor of Wichita.”

Watkins said the campaign was already moving away from the CPA talking point, which was part of the candidate’s introduction to voters.

Russell Fox, a professor of political science at Friends University who has been monitoring the mayor race, said he doesn’t think the revelation will hurt Williams in the March 3 primary election.

“In low-turnout elections, and this is going to be low, the voters that you can reliably count on showing up are … the sort of people who have already decided who they’re going to vote for,” Fox said.

This story was originally published February 23, 2015 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Candidate for mayor may have misrepresented himself as CPA."