KanCare provider hosts campaign fundraiser for GOP lawmakers

One of the state’s KanCare providers hosted a campaign fundraiser this week for Republican lawmakers on the committee that oversees health policy in Kansas.

Amerigroup, one of the three companies that provides Medicaid services in Kansas, held a fundraiser on Wednesday for Republican members of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee at HHB BBQ, a barbecue restaurant near the Capitol in Topeka.

The invitation says that donations could be made up to $1,000 for the seven GOP lawmakers on the committee.

Amerigroup’s lobbyist, Gary Haulmark, would not comment on the event, and the committee’s chair, Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook, R-Shawnee, did not immediately return phone calls on Thursday. A corporate spokeswoman for Amerigroup also would not comment.

Sen. Jacob LaTurner, R-Pittsburg, said he did not know that a fundraiser he attended was hosted by an insurance company with a state contract.

“I had no idea who was sponsoring the event,” LaTurner said when asked whether he saw any conflict of interest with Amerigroup sponsoring the event. “I knew it was a Health fundraiser. The majority leader’s office let me know when it was, but I had no idea who was sponsoring it.”

He said that if he had wanted to know the sponsor, he could have found out.

The invitation for the event, which was obtained by The Eagle, says near bottom that the event was to be hosted by Amerigroup and Hein Governmental Consulting, a lobbying firm that lists the Kansas Association of Chain Drugstores, the Kansas Dental Association and the Kansas Society of Radiologic Technologists among its clients.

“I can’t imagine you’d go to a fundraiser and not know who’s sponsoring a fundraiser,” said Senate Minority Leader Anthony Hensley, D-Topeka. “I find that hard to believe.”

Peter Northcott, who is Senate Majority Leader Terry Bruce’s chief of staff, confirmed that the majority leader’s office has been coordinating fundraising efforts for GOP lawmakers and that it’s possible LaTurner wasn’t informed of the sponsors.

“It was just a low-key fundraiser. I guess there were 20 people, maybe 25 people there,” LaTurner said.

LaTurner said that he and Pilcher-Cook attended, as did committee members Sen. Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, and Sen. Mitch Holmes, R-St. John.

The invitation says that the event was in support of the re-election efforts of every Republican member of the Public Health Committee, including the three who did not attend: Sen. Michael O’Donnell, R-Wichita; Sen. Garrett Love, R-Montezuma; and Sen. Jim Denning, R-Overland Park.

Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, a member of the Public Health Committee, objected to his Republican colleagues taking part in a campaign event hosted by one of the state’s KanCare providers.

“It doesn’t pass the smell test,” Haley said.

Nothing in Kansas ethics law forbids lawmakers from partaking in fundraisers hosted by groups with a vested interest in state policy.

A similar fundraiser will take place Oct. 20 for Republican members of the Senate Financial Institution and Insurance Committee at the offices of the Kansas Bankers Association in Topeka.

LaTurner, who is also on that committee, which handles banking regulations in Kansas, said “I’ll take your word for it” when told it would be hosted by the bankers. He said he had the date marked on his calendar after being told about it by Sen. Jeff Longbine, R-Emporia, the committee’s chair. He said he didn’t know the details.

That event will benefit the campaigns of Longbine, LaTurner, Bowers, Denning, Sen. Rob Olson, R-Olathe, Sen. Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka, and Sen. Rick Wilborn, R-McPherson. It will also feature appearances by the Senate’s president, majority leader and vice president.

The event costs $100 to attend and $500 to co-host. Along the bankers, several groups, such as the Kansas Hospital Association and Kansas Dental Association, are listed as co-hosts.

Carol Williams, executive director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission, said that a group, such as the Bankers Association, would disclose the fundraiser on its political action committee report. A private company, such as Amerigroup, would not be required to report it hosted a fundraiser.

The candidates do have to report each contribution received at a fundraiser, but not necessarily who hosted it, Williams said. “It’ll all be on that day. which is kind of an indication that something went on … 35 contributions all on the same day, you know they had some sort of event,” she said.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "KanCare provider hosts campaign fundraiser for GOP lawmakers."