TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Disagreements and personality clashes in the small southeast Kansas town of Iola might be a root cause of a current battle over Democratic Gov. Laura Kelleys nomination to lead the Kansas Department of Commerce, according to some residents of the town.
Some Republicans and the states most influential anti-abortion group are fighting David Tolands nomination, citing two grants totaling less than $20,000 to Thrive Allen County, an economic group he previously managed in Iola. The grants came from a fund in memory of the late abortion provider Dr. George Tiller, although neither grant was used to fund abortions.
While he was CEO of Thrive Allen County, Toland often clashed with Virginia Crossland-Macha, the newly-elected vice-chairwoman of the Kansas Republican Party and the daughter of the founder of Crossland Construction, one of the nations largest general contractors, The Kansas News Service reported.
Crossland-Macha said in emails to former Iola Mayor John McRae that she opposes Tolands politics and what she called his attempts to punish her and other Iola business owners who criticized Thrive initiatives, such as a successful campaign to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products in the city from 18 to 21 in Iola. Crossland-Macha said the change cost a truck stop she and her husband, Larry, own $100,000 in sales during its first month.
Much of Machas written complaints against Toland centered on how Toland handled threatening messages several years ago.
In 2016, Toland found threatening messages including one left on his vehicle according to a police incident report. In the report, Toland said he had ongoing problems with local businesswoman Cara Bolling Thomas and her husband, Daniel, over Tolands work to bring a new grocery to town.
After a series of investigations by Iola police officers, County Attorney Jerry Hathaway declined to prosecute the case for lack of overwhelming evidence.
Toland has noted the incidents of stalking and harassment ceased after the investigation.
In a statement on Friday, Toland did not address the conflicts with Crossland-Macha and said he was focusing on rebuilding the Department of Commerce. He said in 10 weeks, the agency has added or retained more than 3,000 jobs in Kansas, provided support for employees of hospitals that closed and totaled more than $200 million in capital improvement projects in the state.
Thats what the Governor brought me here to do, and its what I intended to continue doing, Toland said.
McCrae, current president of Iola Industries, a business development group, said many of the Iolas 6,000 residents are shocked by the campaign against Toland.
Theyre kind of stunned that Virginia is leading the charge against the hometown boy who has done so much and so well, McRae said.
Iolan Ginny Hawk, a long-time friend of the Toland family, said I feel terrible about the things that are said about him and the politics and the misrepresentations.
McRae said residents also are surprised that abortion has become an issue in the confirmation controversy.
Kansans for Life charged in a letter to senators Monday that Toland wasnt fit to lead the commerce department because of his ties to Tiller, citing the grants to Thrive Allen County.
