POLITICS

House Ethics Committee to launch Watkins probe

Andrew Bahl
U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins, who lost in a primary challenge to Kansas Treasurer Jake LaTurner, now finds himself under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of voter fraud.

A week after losing his primary election, U.S. Rep. Steve Watkins now finds himself under investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of voter fraud.

The probe from a newly formed investigative subcommittee will examine whether Watkins “voted in an election district without being lawfully registered to vote,” among other offenses.

It will also examine whether Watkins “falsely reported information to a law enforcement officer” and “knowingly marked or transmitted more than one advance voting ballot; and/or failed to notify the proper agency of a change of name or address.”

Watkins, a first-term incumbent who won a narrow victory in 2018, lost to State Treasurer Jake LaTurner in the 2nd Congressional District primary.

His candidacy was marred by the voter fraud charges filed last month by Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay tied to Watkins listing a UPS Store address as his voting address.

The three felony charges resulted from an investigation that followed a Topeka Capital-Journal report that Watkins voted in a hotly contested city council race — one in which it was later revealed he wouldn’t have been eligible to vote had he been registered at his physical address.

Watkins shrugged off the issue, saying it was a simple error and that the charges are politically motivated. He did step down from his committee assignments last month due to the matter.

Watkins’ office did not immediately return a request for comment.