Subpoena seeks O’Donnell e-mails in false attack on Whipple’s Wichita mayor campaign
New court documents raise Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell’s name in a lawsuit over an anonymous and false attack ad deployed against Brandon Whipple during his recent successful run for Wichita mayor.
A subpoena filed by Whipple’s lawyer, Randy Rathbun, is seeking any e-mails or text messages related to the video sent or received by Sedgwick County Republican Party Chairman Dalton Glasscock.
The subpoena specifically demands any messages between Glasscock and O’Donnell.
It marks the first time O’Donnell’s name has been officially attached to the lawsuit, which alleges Whipple was slandered by the ad and its false claims of sexual harassment.
Rathbun declined to say why he included O’Donnell on the subpoena of Glasscock’s e mails.
However, court records show Rathbun deposed Glasscock under oath in late January.
Citing the fact of the ongoing court case, O’Donnell declined to make extensive comments on the subpoena. But he did say he was “absolutely, unequivocally not responsible for that video.”
He also said he’s not concerned about any e mails or texts he may have exchanged with Glasscock.
The subpoena also demands electronic messages between video entrepreneur Matthew Colborn, who produced the ad; and Michael Capps, a Republican state representative from Wichita with ties to the anonymous New Mexico shell company that bankrolled the operation.
O’Donnell’s is the latest politically prominent name to officially surface in connection with the ad, which featured paid actresses posing as former legislative interns and leveling accusations of sexual harassment against Whipple, who won the mayor’s race in November over incumbent Jeff Longwell.
The script of the ad lifted allegations from a 2017 story in The Kansas City Star and The Eagle outlining Statehouse harassment complaints against Republican state senators.
Whipple is a Democrat and a former member of the state House of Representatives.
A local actress told The Eagle she was tricked by Colborn into making the ad under the pretext that she was reading a script for a public service announcement against domestic violence.
Eagle research linked the New Mexico shadow company, Protect Wichita’s Girls LLC, to Capps.
The Eagle confirmed that a Capps company, incorporated in Wyoming, was the original owner of the website domain www.protectwichitagirls.com. In addition, Capps’ company used the same Wyoming mail drop as the New Mexico shell company.
Colborn admitted in court that he produced the video ad that ran on YouTube in the days leading up to the election. Shortly after the election, the ad was removed and the YouTube account closed.
After The Eagle story revealed Capps’ ties to the company that made the video, Glasscock called on Capps to resign his seat in the Legislature.
Capps responded by going on a local radio program and accusing Glasscock of green-lighting the ad, which Glasscock denied.
Glasscock said Tuesday he has not been served with the subpoena, which court records show was filed electronically on Feb. 7.
Contributing: Chance Swaim of The Eagle
This story was originally published February 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
