June 19, 2004
(Updated July 3, 2004)

Bistate Arts and Sports Committee created in Kansas.

• Bistate Arts and Sports Corporation, a Missouri non-profit, comes back to life.
• Bistate Arts and Sports Corporation, a Kansas non-profit, too.

On June 16, 2004 the Kansas Bistate Arts and Sports Committee filed papers with the Kansas Government Ethics Commission in Topeka, and the Johnson County Election Office in Olathe about the creation of this Political Action Committee (PAC).  Presumably this PAC is being created for political contributions to be made to Kansas State Representatives and State Senators during the 2004 election cycle.  Peter S. Levi is the chair and treasurer of this PAC (see Exhibits 1 and 2 below).   

The purpose of the Kansas Bistate Arts and Sports Committee is a bit evasive (see Exhibit 1 below) in this application:

This committee shares a common objective with the Missouri Bistate Arts and Sports Committee, established pursuant to Section 130.021, Mo. Rev. State.

Why is this statement acceptable?  Why quote Missouri State law on a Kansas application form?  Why can't this group state in clear English what the primary interest of their contributors is?

The address of the payment check to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission is a bit odd (See Exhibit 2 below).  The address "2345 Grand Blvd, Sute 2800" is the address of the Lathrop and Gage law firm according to LawyersListings.com. 

No information about a "Bistate" PAC can be found on the Missouri Secretary of State's web site at this time.

On May 24, 2004 the Bistate Arts and Sport Committee was formed in Missouri and filed a Statement of Committee Organization with the Jackson County (Missouri) Board of Election Commissioners.  This form identifies Jack Craft as the Chairman and Treasurer of the Committee. The official fund depository is U.S. Bank in St. Louis.  [The 2002 Missouri Bistate Renewal Committee used the US Bank in Kansas City at 4901 Main Street.]

In 2002  Stephen F. Rose chaired the Kansas Bistate Renewal Committee [see Section J and supporting documentation on Missouri Money Flowing into Kansas Elections (2002)].  William Lucas was the treasurer.  In 2002 the Kansas Bistate Renewal Committee received funding of $72,500 from the financially troubled Aquila, and $10,000 from the mysterious Missouri Bistate Renewal Committee.  Nothing is yet known about any 2004 contributors to the Kansas Bistate Arts and Sports Committee.  Except for the $10,000 contribution from the Missouri group to the Kansas Bistate Renewal Committee in 2002, nothing is known about the Missouri groups, including where and when they file any reports in Missouri.

In 2002 the Missouri Bistate Renewal Committee shared an address with the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, but the address of the 2004 group is not yet know.  

In 2002 these "Committees" were not PACs and were largely exempt from reporting requirements.  The distinction is suble:  a "Committee" can only focus on issues, like a county tax issue, and cannot give money to candidates, while a PAC can.

In 2002 the Missouri non-profit, Bistate Arts and Sports Corporation, made $39,500 in contributions to the Greater Kansas City Chamber PAC. [see Sections K, L and O and supporting documentation on Missouri Money Flowing into Kansas Elections (2002) Then both the Chamber's PAC, and Steve Cloud's JCRE PAC, which received $20,000 from the Chamber's PAC, made contributions to nearly the same candidates in the in August primaries in Johnson County.  Is it possible these transfers were made to avoid the $500 legal limit on PAC contributions to Kansas candidates?  Did the Greater Kansas City Chamber find a way to make double contributions to Kansas Candidates?  Is this new PAC yet another way to avoid limits, since now the Chamber has it's own PAC, sometimes called "BizPAC", and this new Bistate Arts and Sports PAC?  Will the Chamber PAC also give Steve Cloud's JCRE PAC money?  Is this a way the Chamber can now triple the normal legal limits to some candidates in Kansas? (That is, will the Bistate PAC, the Chamber PAC, and the JCRE PAC now all contribute to mostly the same Kansas candidates from a common money flow?)

What is known about Peter S. Levi, who is the chair and treasurer of this Kansas Bistate Arts and Sports Committee?  Both Peter Levi, and his wife Enid, have made several personal contributions to Kansas candidates, most notably, Congressman Dennis Moore, Governor Kathleen Sebelius, and State Senator Dennis Adkins.  These recipients are among the  most liberal Democrats in Kansas -- Adkins calls himself a Republican but rarely votes with Republicans in the Kansas Senate.  See Appendix below.

With all the secrecy behind the political money flowing from Missouri to Kansas in 2002, will this new 2004 Bistate PAC, and any secret political money flows originating in Missouri, threaten the integrity of our 2004 JoCo Kansas elections?

Peter S. Levi, and his wife Enid, are currently registered Republicans in Johnson County. However, they were both Democrats in the 2000 election cycle and were Democrats in June 2002.  They likely switched to Republicans to vote in the August 2002 Kansas primary.  They definitely had changed to Republicans by September 2002 and are Republicans today.  (The exact dates of the party change could be obtained from the JoCo Election Office.)

Peter Levi has had the nearly singular focus of obtaining a Bistate 2 tax for quite some time.  The Kansas City Business Journal on December 24, 1999 quotes Levi:

The immediate intent is to use Bistate 2 money to make renovations to Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums, said Peter Levi, president of the Greater Kansas City Area Chamber of Commerce.

In this same Dec 1999 article, even State Senator David Adkin's wife, Lisa Adkins, was supporting this new tax:

But before money can be designated for improving the metro area's sports facilities, arts organizations may look to get their piece of the pie.

"It truly is a thrilling opportunity for a community to support its art and culture," said Lisa Adkins, a member of the Bistate Commission and the Kansas Arts Commission.

Why is a Missouri "non-profit corporation" paying the expenses for a political action committee?

The address on this check is the address of the Lathrop and Gage law firm according to LawyersListings.com. 

Why does Levi use his home address for the PAC application?

Is the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce attempting to hide its participation in Kansas elections by using a law firm's address?

ADKINS, DAVID

07-09-2002 LEVI, PETER                  75.00 ADKINS, DAVID

GRAVES, BILL

11-11-1997 LEVI, PETER & ENID            500.00 GRAVES, BILL

SEBELIUS, KATHLEEN

10-22-2002 LEVI, PETER                  500.00 SEBELIUS, KATHLEEN