Posted on 12/14/2007 1:55:01 PM PST by NormsRevenge
TOPEKA, Kan. - Attorney General Paul Morrison announced his resignation Friday, less than a week after he acknowledged having an extramarital affair with a former employee who has accused him of sexual harassment, and of professional misconduct aimed at his predecessor.
"I have held others accountable for their actions, and now I must be held accountable for my mistakes," Morrison said in a statement read to reporters. At one point, he paused to gather himself. "Many people feel betrayed by my actions, and they have every right to feel that way."
Morrison's resignation is effective Jan. 31, 2008. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, a fellow Democrat, will appoint his replacement.
The former employee, Linda Carter, has said she and Morrison had a two-year affair starting in September 2005 — meaning it continued while Morrison ran for attorney general last year and after he took office. Both are married.
Carter filed a civil rights claim against Morrison last month with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. According to her account, the affair began in September 2005 and lasted about two years. Linda Carter also accused him of attempting to influence a federal lawsuit involving Phill Kline, whom Morrison ousted from the attorney general's office in last year's election.
Kris Kobach, chairman of the Kansas Republican Party, said resigning was Morrison's only "plausible option."
"Paul Morrison has disgraced the office which he was elected to," Kobach said in a statement. "The people of Kansas deserve better than scandals, rumors and embarrassment from their chief law enforcement official."
Morrison was Johnson County's district attorney for 18 years, a Republican who switched to the Democratic Party last year to challenge the GOP conservative Kline. After Kline's defeat, Republicans picked him to take over Morrison's old job.
Carter, former director of administration for the district attorney's office, accuses Morrison of trying to pressure her to write letters on behalf of eight former employees who were dismissed by Kline. In August, a federal magistrate dismissed all but one count in a wrongful termination lawsuit they filed.
Carter also claims Morrison sought sensitive information about Kline's activities as district attorney. She detailed her allegations in a signed statement obtained by The Topeka Capital-Journal.
On Sunday, Morrison confirmed that he and Carter had had a relationship, but said many of her claims were "patently false." Sebelius said Monday that Morrison should resign if the allegations were proven, but a spokeswoman for Morrison had said then that he had no plans to resign.
During the campaign, Morrison faced allegations that he had drunkenly propositioned another female employee in a bar in 1990. But two federal lawsuits arising from those claims were dismissed, and when Kline raised the claims as an issue during the campaign's final weeks, the tactic backfired.
As Kline was failing to gain ground, Morrison and Carter were having their affair, according to her account. She said they had sexual encounters in the Johnson County Courthouse and in hotels in several Kansas cities and three other states.
Well they are definitely doing the happy dance in the Lieutenant Governor’s office tonight. Morrison was the only real competition that Parkinson might have had for the Democrat nomination in the governor’s race in 2010.
And in order for you to accomplish that it would take a 2/3rds vote in both houses of the legislature and the approval of a majority of the voters. That pesky constitution gets in the way of all your plans, doesn't it?
To prevent the Governor from appointing a hack that wouldn't get to face the voters until 2010.
"Every day in every way you demonstrate your ignorance about politics outside of whatever jerk-water Tennessee hamlet you infest."
Oooh, must've hit a nerve with you, peaches. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I'd dare say I know more about Kansas politics (or any other state) on my worst day than you will ever know on your best. :-)
"I report what I heard and of course you would assume that I'm excited about him."
Well, knowing you so well, you always get excited over liberals and Communist dictators. Knowing that Gilligan-Sebelius would never appoint someone of the Vern Miller vintage, Biggs will be just another rodent hack.
"For all you know Biggs is pro-life."
Might be, but doubtful given Gilligan-Sebelius and ole Morry the Hump. Being pro-life ain't enough, either. But then, you've been told that about a million times. If it was, I'd be on the Huckster bandwagon. I'm not.
"Unlike Phill, Biggs is an experienced prosecutor and trial lawyer. He had an excellent track record in Geary and regardless of politics I think he'd make a good AG."
This makes my point. You wouldn't be excited about him if he wasn't a liberal. The fact that he faced off against Kline is an added bonus for you, since you harbor such serious pathological hatred against the man. The fact you consider him worse than the paid KGB agent and Communist dictator Salvador Allende shows you need to spend some time in a nervous hospital reevaluating your priorities.
"And assuming that he isn't diddling his administrative aides, too, that'd make a refreshing change from our last two."
Doubtful. He'll be another Gilligan-Sebelius hack doing her bidding. I was so hoping Morry the Hump would stick around and get his clock cleaned by Phill. You just hate it when I point out that he's one of the few people in public life who is better than the people for which he serves, and you're proof of that, since you're one of 'em. :-)
That would’ve been fun to watch, two slimy RINO-turned-rodent apostates battling it out. I wonder how long it will be until Parkinson is run out of office, since his ethics and sense of morality is virtually identical to Morry the Hump’s.
Oh, that's right, I know how you love to (ab)use the Constitution to further your dreams of a Marxist state.
There was a crawl about this on CNN during my lunch break.
Know how I knew which party he belonged to? Because CNN didn’t mention it.
I can’t understand why a RAT would resign?
Well the legislative session doesn't convene for a month, and I expect Sebelius will fill the office long before that.
Oooh, must've hit a nerve with you, peaches. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I'd dare say I know more about Kansas politics (or any other state) on my worst day than you will ever know on your best. :-)
You've never been shy about tooting your own horn regardless of whether it's justified or not. And when it comes to your claim about Kansas politics it certainly isn't.
Well, knowing you so well, you always get excited over liberals and Communist dictators. Knowing that Gilligan-Sebelius would never appoint someone of the Vern Miller vintage, Biggs will be just another rodent hack.
Oh I've not doubt he's no Pinochet. And we aren't going to have the National Guard storming the capitol and overthowing anyone so I can understand your disappointment. But he certainly can't be any worse than the hack we had in the office between 2002 and 2006, or the sleezeball who just resigned.
Might be, but doubtful given Gilligan-Sebelius and ole Morry the Hump. Being pro-life ain't enough, either.
So you keep saying. But when push comes to shove that's all that matters to you.
This makes my point. You wouldn't be excited about him if he wasn't a liberal.
And the only reason you were for Kline was because he was pro-life. You keep denying that it is the be all and end all to what you define as a conservative and yet it keeps showing up as your sole deciding factor.
I was so hoping Morry the Hump would stick around and get his clock cleaned by Phill.
ROTFLMAO. And you keep saying that you know so much about Kansas politics. A legend in your own mind.
Of course, gotta get that hack in there ASAP.
"You've never been shy about tooting your own horn regardless of whether it's justified or not. And when it comes to your claim about Kansas politics it certainly isn't."
Of course it is. You've been jealous of me from day #1.
"Oh I've not doubt he's no Pinochet. And we aren't going to have the National Guard storming the capitol and overthowing anyone so I can understand your disappointment. But he certainly can't be any worse than the hack we had in the office between 2002 and 2006, or the sleezeball who just resigned."
Kline was a statesman, and one of the finest AGs in Kansas history. The problem is, you tend to confuse hacks and criminals with being "statesmanslike." Of course, you're usually and perpetually confused. ;-)
"So you keep saying. But when push comes to shove that's all that matters to you."
This is what I mean by your being perpetually confused. Somebody tells you something to correct you, and you go back to beating your tired old drum.
"And the only reason you were for Kline was because he was pro-life. You keep denying that it is the be all and end all to what you define as a conservative and yet it keeps showing up as your sole deciding factor."
I am for Kline because he's a statesman and leader. Huckster is pro-life, but he's neither a statesman nor a leader.
"ROTFLMAO. And you keep saying that you know so much about Kansas politics. A legend in your own mind."
More projection. Tell me, Sparky, how many people ping you daily to consult the depth and breadth of your knowledge of politics ? I'd say "zero." Somehow I think diehard apologists and supporters of Allende and liberal hacks won't win you many friends around here.
I don’t know what your bone is with Kline. He was endorsed by the Sheriff’s association and had a good rep with the KBI. He took the Johnson County DA spot as a lame duck despite the unreasoning hate he faced. As far as Tiller and Planned Parenthood, that is a nest of political corruption well documented by the pro life groups and the kansas meadowlark.
Chris Biggs was Tiller’s man in 2002. Until the air is cleared, it is like one mobster taking the place of another in a criminal organization. The names have changed but not the game.
Morrison buried the 30 charges and dragged his feet on Tiller. The allegation now is he was trying to shield Planned Parenthood. He would still be doing it if he could have kept his pants zipped.
Why should Kansas take the chance that Biggs, with his past Tiller connections, is anything other than Morrison with a dry wick?
Thanks for your comments. Very interesting to hear that. I didn’t realize that Gilligan-Sebelius has Tiller vetting the choices for AG. Pretty sad and sick.
Well, he bought her the head of the Democratic Governor’s Association with a $100,000 donation. Appears he would be a hell of a sounding board to me!
Can you say “payoff” ?
Ding dong, the witch is dead.
Don’t let the door hit you on your butt.
Because I know Phill and I've watched him in action for 15 years.
He took the Johnson County DA spot as a lame duck despite the unreasoning hate he faced.
Phill took the Johnson County DA spot vacated by the man who beat him for a single reason, it paid well. He was selected for the office for a single reason, there is a civil war raging in the Kansas GOP and one wing wanted to stick it to the other wing. If Chris Biggs is selected to fill out Morrison's term then the primary reason, I believe, for his selection is to do unto the Republicans what they did to the Democrats - appoint someone Phill beat to the office he once held. The major difference being that Phill narrowly beat Briggs while Morrison creamed him.
I for the life of me do not understand this Phill worship on the part of people outside of Kansas. We recognize Phill for what he is, an inept attorney and a hack politician, and his election results have shown that. He lost his run for Congress in 2000, he narrowly defeated a complete unknown in 2002 and he was soundly defeated in 2006. Any look at his performance should explain why.
Everyone keeps talking about some grand conspiracy between Tiller and the Democrats, but the reason why Tiller keeps doing what he's doing is very simple. Kansas abortion laws are among the most lenient in the country. If you want to do away with the Tillers of the state then the solution is easy, tighten up the laws. But the Republicans haven't done that, and in his 8 years in the legislature Phill did nothing to further any changes to the laws. And when he was Attorney General, what did he do to prosecute Tiller under the laws that existed? Nothing. Not until a month or so before the 2006 election when he filed misdemeanor charges in such an inept manner that they were promptly thrown out. Any law student could have predicted those results. Either Phill is incredibly stupid or else it was all a election year stunt.
Morrison dumped the charges because he believed they were unwinnable. Well, I don't know whether that is true or not but when Morrison did file charges on Tiller at least his weren't laughed out of court.
You mentioned the charges that Phill has filed against Planned Parenthood. Well, once again we're seeing Phill at his best. I know quite a few attorneys in the JoCo area and their consensus is that these charges, too, will be thrown out. The reason being that if, as expected, Phill used evidence based on files collected during his AG investigation then that evidence is tainted because the information should have been returned when the original investigation was terminated. If Phill did do that then he broke the law and the charges will go nowhere.
So that's what I have against Phill, he's an idiot with an agenda. He seems to be using his offices to pander to his supporters rather than seriously enforcing the law. I'd like to see Tiller put out of business, but the way to do that is within the law. And if the current law doesn't allow for it then change that law, don't abuse it for poltical gain. Phill does that, and the people of this state have seen through him. That's why is record in elections is so dismal, and why he has not future in Kansas politics.
Assuming Biggs is selected then we'll have to see what happens. There are about 25 counts against Tiller filed by Morrison. And these haven't been thrown out on a technicality, so already Morrison is one-up on Phill. If Tiller is convicted on all of them and receives the max then that's 25 years in jail. Briggs, or whoever else is appointed, will be expected to press on and if they make a mess of it then you can trot out your conspiracy theories and claim Tiller has them in his pocket. But what are you going to do if Tiller loses? What will you say then?
No doubt you're once again basing your claims on ignorance rather than any knowledge of Kansas politics. But that brings up an interesting question, who will run against him? Sebelius is term limited so Parkinson will waltz into the Democrat nomination if he wants it. I've heard he really wants to be Senator but the 2010 Democrat field could be crowded already. So let's assume that it is Parkinson, who will the GOP run against him? Give us the benefit of your in-depth knowledge of Sunflower State poltiics.
And the projections just keep on comin'...
"So let's assume that it is Parkinson, who will the GOP run against him? Give us the benefit of your in-depth knowledge of Sunflower State poltiics."
See, even you have to concede my expertise, otherwise you wouldn't be asking the question. ;-) I'm thinking (for Governor) that maybe Jerry Moran will get off his butt and run, which he should've done in '02 (though the open Senate seat is more tempting and likely). Ron Thornburgh is another possibility. Lynn Jenkins (but that depends upon what happens this year with the Congressional nomination) or Sandy Praeger are two others. 2010 could be a free-for-all for both the Senate and Governor's races, obviously. It will be better for the KS Dems from a national standpoint if the GOP retains the Presidency, but if Hillary or Obama win, Gilligan-Sebelius will never make it to the Senate.
No surprise that he resigned. What must be galling to the Rodents was that Morrison was a rising star in his party.
Hopefully the Kansas GOP has rid itself of its RINO infestation.
Not even close.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.