In the midst of another nasty election season, it’s refreshing to see some Wichita-area leaders and organizations taking principled stands and holding colleagues accountable for smarmy politics.
A leaked audio recording released by The Eagle on Friday showed three local officeholders — Sedgwick County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell, State Rep. Michael Capps and Wichita City Council member James Clendenin — hatching a scheme to cover their involvement in a false-ad smear campaign against a mayoral candidate.
By noon Saturday, the Sedgwick County Republican Party had called out the trio’s “malicious and dishonest actions” on Facebook and said anyone involved in the campaign should step down.
On Monday, the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and its political action committee added to the chorus, condemning the elected officials’ “lack of integrity and civility” and asking all three to resign immediately.
“There is no place in our community for this type of behavior. It is ugly and unacceptable, and we demand better,” the Chamber said in a statement.
Commissioners Lacey Cruse, David Dennis and Jim Howell weighed in as well, calling for a special meeting to take quick action.
And take action, they must.
“This behavior is not okay,” Cruse said in a Facebook post. “Those who choose to be silent, those who are not willing to speak out about this publicly are part of the problem.”
Silence is too often the norm in politics. This time, though, the audio is loud and clear, the reaction is swift, and the next step is unequivocal: O’Donnell, Capps and Clendenin should resign. Period. Silence is too often the norm in politics. This time, though, the audio is loud and clear, the reaction is swift, and the next step is unequivocal: O’Donnell, Capps and Clendenin should resign. Period.
“The people of Sedgwick County deserve representation that is ethical, above reproach, and honest,” Howell, a Republican, said in a Facebook post Sunday evening. “The actions of these men in the ‘Protect Wichita Girls’ scandal is reprehensible and embarrassing to our community.”
The audio “demonstrates a clear breach of honesty and the values that we as Commissioners swore to adhere to,” Dennis said on his Facebook page.
Bravo. And finally.
O’Donnell, the only one of the three seeking reelection, has a long and sordid history in politics, and it needs to end. So far he has successfully — and astonishingly — weathered charges that he dodged taxes by living on church-owned property, supplied beer to a Wichita State fraternity party, borrowed a Christian school van to party at a Kansas City Royals game, and gave campaign money to friends.
