Kris Kobach is one busy guy: 70 media interviews in four months

Secretary of State Kris Kobach gave about 70 media interviews in the months leading up to the November election, a copy of his schedule shows.

Kobach is among the most media-friendly elected officials in Kansas, and frequently answers calls from reporters to his personal cellphone. The schedule gives insight to how far-ranging Kobach’s availability to the media has been.

A copy of Kobach’s schedule covering July 1, 2016, through Nov. 8, 2016, was released online on Wednesday through a file-sharing website that allows uploaders to remain anonymous.

The Twitter account @GramHana, which has only a handful of followers, then tweeted a link to the upload site using #ksleg, a common hashtag for following Kansas politics.

The schedule includes multiple redacted sections, but also shows Kobach’s activities on some days in great detail. It lists numerous interviews with reporters and media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Rolling Stone and The Wichita Eagle, among others.

Additionally, Kobach attended the National Association of Secretaries of State summer conference in mid-July and the Republican National Convention a few days later. His schedule reflecting the agenda for both events.

Kobach’s office confirmed the authenticity of the schedule, and said it had been released to an individual under an open records request.

Spokeswoman Desiree Taliaferro said redacted portions of his schedule during the RNC contained litigation deadlines.

Asked whether Kobach or his office wanted to comment on the schedule, Taliaffero declined.

“I do not understand why you would need a comment as I don’t even see the reason this is even a ‘potential’ story,” Taliaferro said in an e-mail.

Kobach has said he is considering a run for governor. He was also under consideration for a position within President Trump’s administration, but said last week he will remain in Kansas.

This story was originally published May 4, 2017 at 1:09 PM with the headline "Kris Kobach is one busy guy: 70 media interviews in four months."