August 20, 2007
(Updated Sept 23, 2007)

The ProKanDo PAC raised and spent more political money than any other Kansas PAC,
but wasn't listed in the top 20 PACs in Kansas in 2006?

Summary:  George Tiller started his ProKanDo PAC in July 2002 and has used his PAC to support various political candidates in Kansas in each election cycle since then.  In 2002, ProKanDo's focus was to support both David Adkins in the primary, and Chris Biggs in the general election, to prevent Phill Kline from being elected Attorney General.  In 2004, ProKanDo through another PAC, Kansans for a Moderate Government, tried to knock out certain candidates for Kansas Senate.  

Even before Paul Morrison announced his candidacy for Attorney General against Phill Kline in Oct 2005, Tiller through his ProKanDo PAC was hard at work raising money to defeat Kline.  In fact, Tiller was using Kline's name in "alerts" for fundraising in early 2005.  Where's the proof?  Look at this entry from ProKanDo's Jan. 2006 report for activities in March 2005:

During the 2006 primary and general elections, there were almost no press reports about the political money Tiller spent in 2002 in the Attorney General's race.  In 2006 the press focused on Kline's narrow win in 2002, but the press rarely mentioned how Kline was outspent if Tiller's ProKanDo money was considered.  Months after the Nov 2006 election, a June 2007 Topeka Capital-Journal article revealed many details behind Tiller's ProKanDo PAC in last year's election (Tiller's influence on state debated)  that had never been reported. Some of the details were only known and minimally reported in the days before the Nov 2006 election. 

A recent Meadowlark report showed the ProKanDo PAC had been the #1 PAC contributing to Kansas political candidates over the 2002 and 2004 election cycles, but failed to make the top 20 list in 2006.  ProKanDo dropped to a #3 ranking over the combined 2002, 2004, and 2006 election cycles.  That reported hinted that the Top 20 PAC list for 2006 in Kansas did not truly reflect political money raised or spent, and that ProKanDo raised more money and spent more money than the reported #1 PAC in Kansas in 2006.  This report gives summary and detail information about the huge amount of money ProKanDo raised and spent in the 2005-2006 election cycle to justify the #1 PAC claim.

Details.  George Tiller has always pushed the legal limits with his ProKanDo PAC and no regulatory authority has challenged him.  The very first ProKanDo PAC report  filed on Oct 28, 2002 with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission had irregularities that were not challenged by the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.  Tiller's first ProKanDo expenditure was $65 for postage stamps on July 22, 2002, which should have been included as part of a report filed with the Ethics Commission in July before the August primary -- the first day of the Oct. reporting period was July 26, 2002.  Tiller spent about $1870 from July 22-July 29, 2002 and then on July 30, 2002 decided to register with the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission.  On the same day, July 30, 2002, Tiller donated $2,000 to David Adkins for Attorney General. On the next day, July 31, 2002, Tiller wrote a check for $24,950 to Applied Computer Services, Hutchinson, for a "coat hanger" mailing for David Adkins against Phill Kline for the Aug 6 primary election.  All of this was done BEFORE the first reported contribution to ProKanDo.  

On Aug 1, 2002, Tiller gave a $30,000 contribution to his newly formed ProKanDo PAC, AND sent a check for $5000 to the "Kansas Coordinated Campaign," which is an alias used by the Kansas Democratic Party at Box 1914, Topeka.   Why the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission allowed Tiller's first PAC report in Oct. 2002 to start with an initial balance of $14,935 is a mystery.  The dates of certain contributions and expenditures in this initial report are completely out of order to obfuscate what happened at the beginning of this PAC.  

"Tricks" were used in both 2002 and 2004 to hide ProKanDo's influence on Kansas politics.  Having reached the limits of Kansas Law, ProKanDo started pushing U.S. Federal Law in 2006 by creating at least one non-profit, Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection, to further their political goals.  However, this non-profit seems to be ignoring laws that require non-profits to register with, and file certain statements with the IRS.  

This remainder of this article gives an overview of the contributions and expenditures by the ProKanDo PAC in 2006.  

Contributions.  Table 1 below is a summary of ProKanDo PAC's contributions and expenditures by reporting period during the 2005-2006 election cycle.  ProKanDo raised $651,200 in monetary contributions, which when combined with in-kind salaries (see Table 3) resulted in total contributions of $814,460. 

Selected contributors are shown in Table 2, including George Tiller's personal $126,000 in contributions.  A number of pro-choice/pro-abortion activists and groups, as well as a variety of liberal activists and groups contributed to ProKanDo.

Expenditures:  Estimates for various categories of expenditures by ProKanDo is shown in Table 4.   Roughly, ProKanDo spent the most on polling, political phone calls, and political data:  about $238,000.  The next biggest category was staff salaries, which was about $217,000, including the in-kind contributions from Tiller's clinic. About $83,000 was spent on printing and postage.  About $58,000 was spent on various consultants, including fundraising and legal experts.  About $28,000 was spent on travel expenses.  ProKanDo only contributed about $19,000 to various political candidates and causes (which is why they did not rank high on the Top 20 list of PACs in 2006).  

ProKanDo paid $95,700 in "member dues" to the "non-profit" Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection, which was used in the Snoop Dog mailings against Attorney General Phill Kline.  Oddly, $34,000 in "member dues" were refunded and reported in the January 2007 report.  A separate article will give additional details about Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection and ask how the contribution of a non-profit to a PAC is legal.. 

With Tiller's ProKanDo PAC far outspending other PACs in Kansas, and with Tiller's support for a variety of liberal and Democratic Party groups that are sympathetic to his cause, one might conclude that all Kansas politics is really about abortion.  Tiller's political money and influence suggests he  now almost "owns" the governor, the attorney general, and many in the Kansas legislature.  With Sebelius' liberal influence on the Kansas courts, including the supreme court nominating committee, and the Kansas Supreme Court, Tiller now may ultimately be immune to any actions in Kansas courts.  Time will tell. 

Table Summary

• Table 1. Summary of ProKanDo PAC’s Contributions and Expenditures  During 2006-2006 Election Cycle

• Table 2. Selected Contributors to ProKanDo PAC, 2005-2006

• Table 3. In-Kind Contributions To ProKanDo PAC from Tiller's Clinic, 2005-2006

• Table 4. Selected Expenditures by ProKanDo PAC, 2005-2006

Table 2.
Selected Contributors to ProKanDo PAC, 2005-2006

The following is a summary of about $293,000 of the $651,200 in monetary contributions.  This represents only about 45% of the total monetary contributions. Summary by in-state and out-of-state contributors is too big a task to undertake right now since the data are not available in a form that can be analyzed by computer.  Information about many of the big contributors from out-of-state is not available.   

Tiller's influence on state debated, Topeka Capital-Journal, June 23, 2007
"The PAC, ProKanDo, raised more than $650,000 in 2005 and 2006, and Tiller contributed $121,000, according to campaign finance records."

"Bob Beatty, a Washburn University of Topeka political scientist, said while Tiller's ability to spend six figures gives him power in Kansas politics, his notoriety also limits his influence. If Tiller becomes too visible in supporting a candidate, an opponent is likely to make it an issue, Beatty said."   

"Also, ProKanDo wasn't alone in trying to influence the attorney general's race. Kansans for Lifesaving Cures, a Lawrence group backing embryonic stem cell research, spent almost $264,000 on direct mail, including postcards criticizing Kline."

Questionable Money Transfers to/from ProKanDo

ProKanDo Fundraisers

Pro-Choice / Pro-Abortion Activists and Groups

MAINstream Coalition / MAIN*PAC Contributors

Kansas Traditional Republican Majority (KTRM) Contributors

Kansas Families United for Public Education (KFUPE) Contributors

Kansas Elected Officials or Candidates

LGBT

Kansas Democrats Supporting ProKanDo

^*Cheryl Carmichael, along with Julie Burkhart, ProKanDo Executive Director, and Jalen O'Neil Lowry, Topeka, who is a former Associate Professor of Law at Washburn School of Law, are all directors of a Kansas non-profit:  "Legal Assistance for Privacy Protection."  The purpose of this non-profit is not known, nor has any evidence been found of its fund raising activities or expenditures.  The Carmichaels are known to be underwriters of a ProKanDo fundraising event in June 2004. 

Table 3.
In-Kind Contributions To ProKanDo PAC from Tiller's Clinic, 2005-2006

The following is a summary of the $163,260 in salaries donated to ProKanDo by Dr. Tiller's Clinic, Women's Health Care Services, Wichita.   Tiller paid all or part of the salaries of the ProKanDo staff.

Table 4.
Selected Expenditures by ProKanDo PAC, 2005-2006

^{*Jim Yonally's Jayhawk Consulting also worked for KTRM ($10,200) and KNEA.}

Kansas Legislature

Democratic Party / Groups

Pro-Choice / Pro-Abortion Activists and Groups

LGBT Groups

Non-Profit ("Member Dues")

TOTAL

^* Kansans for a Moderate Government was a PAC run by Tiller's ProKanDo PAC in 2004 to knock out certain Kansas Senators.  From Campaign finance overhaul advised, Lawrence Journal-World, Nov 29, 2004:  "Kansans for a Moderate Government has been financed almost entirely by an abortion-rights political action committee, Pro Kan Do, which was founded by Dr. George Tiller, a Wichita doctor who performs abortions."

In Jan-Mar 2005 ProKanDo sent Kansans for a Moderate Government three checks that totaled $8,300.  The Kansans for a Moderate Government PAC then spent all their money $8,333.31 in six checks -- two in each month, Jan, Feb, March 2005 -- at Digital Printing & Copies, Wichita for "printing" costs.  Just printing costs -- no mailing costs?  

ProKanDo's Jennifer Wright then sent a "Termination Report" for Kansans for a Moderate Government to the Secretary of State dated June 8, 2005.   The termination of this PAC meant this report was not posted online in Jan 2006 when all the PAC reports were first put online.  

See this Meadowlark report:  Kansas Governmental Ethics Office Goes Easy on Violations by Tiller's PACs?, March 10, 2005

Related Reports

• Kansas PACs in the "Top Ten" List During Election Years 2002, 2004, 2006. Who are the political "big money" players in Kansas?

• How can the Kansans for Consumer Privacy Protection "non-profit" give $34,000 to the ProKanDo PAC?

• Strange political money transfers between ProKanDo PAC and Young Democrats of America 527

• How the names of political contributors of over $52,000 were hidden on the ProKanDo PAC Reports

K a n s a s M e a d o w l a r k @ g m a i l . c o m