Follow Mike Dodson’s Money
January 13, 2022: Mike Dodson takes $500.00 from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce — an illegal action because a half century ago, legislators were taking bribes from lobbyists before votes. So taking money from lobbyists has been banned during legislative session.
On August 11, 2022
The Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission charges Mike Dodson’s campaign with a campaign finance violation that took place in January.
DO NOT TAKE MONEY DURING SESSION
Every legislator knows not to take money during session. Why? Because 50 years ago, corruption was a problem as lobbyists bribed legislators before votes.
March 22, 2022: Medicaid Expansion came up for a vote in the Kansas House.
Mike Dodson voted NO.
April 2, 2022: Mike Dodson tells the League of Women Voters forum that he knows there is overwhelming support for Medicaid expansion but the political pressures from special interest groups won’t allow him to vote Yes.
Specifically, he calls out the Kansas Chamber of Commerce for exerting political pressure on him - the same special interest group that gave Mike Dodson money during legislative session.
“The dynamics of politics…uh…the Republican National Committee, the Republican Kansas Committee, um, the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, they all exert pressure. ... And while I mentioned referendums in Kansas, if you look at the surveys, there’s overwhelming support for Medicaid expansion. That’s why I say if the people focus on a couple things: education and then Medicaid. If that’s what everybody wants, then you’re gonna have to have a referendum. Because until you change committee heads or leadership up there, it’s not going to come through. I just believe in having fair hearings for things so you can sort it out.”
(Point of order: Mike Dodson wants to divert attention away from the fact that he caved to political pressures from outside special interest groups by talking about referendums. He’s trying to kick the can down a non-existent road, taking a chance that Kansans don’t know referendums are not allowed in this state.)
Which leads us back to here: August 11, 2022
Mike Dodson held the money for seven months before the Governmental Ethics Commission discovered this illegal act, threatening him with a Class A Misdemeanor.
Instructions were to return the cash and report it as an expenditure on his October 31st Finance Report.
October 31, 2022: The return of the monies is no where to be found.
We can’t trust Mike Dodson.
Mike Dodson puts special interests before us.
Vote against him like he votes against us.