73-647: Kris William Kobach ( / ˈ k oʊ b ɑː k / KOH -bahk ; born March 26, 1966) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the attorney general of Kansas since 2023. He previously served as the 31st secretary of state of Kansas from 2011 to 2019. A former chairman of the Kansas Republican Party , Kobach rose to national prominence over his support for anti-immigration advocacy, including his involvement in implementing high-profile anti-undocumented immigration ordinances in various American cities. Kobach began his political career as
146-615: A Farmers Branch, Texas ordinance that attempted to prevent landlords from renting to illegal immigrants. That case was appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals where it was first heard by a three-judge panel that largely decided against the city. In addition to the costs of the immigration suits, the City had spent $ 850,000 defending two voting rights lawsuits. The City appealed the panel's ruling, in Case No. 10-10751, with
219-465: A Federal Elections Commission (FEC) audit strongly criticized Kobach's financial management of the Kansas GOP. The FEC audit found that when Kobach served as chairman, the state party failed to pay state and federal taxes. It was also discovered that illegal contributions were accepted. In December 2007, Kobach sent an email saying, "[T]o date, the Kansas GOP has identified and caged more voters in
292-496: A billy club , had been at a single, majority-black precinct in Philadelphia. After months of hearings, testimony, and investigation, no actual evidence was found that any voters were afraid to vote. She continued, "Too much overheated rhetoric filled with insinuations and unsubstantiated charges has been devoted to this case." On September 2, 2015, representatives of groups most likely to be affected by Kobach's plan to shorten
365-565: A federal grand jury indictment was unsealed against We Build the Wall advisory board member Steve Bannon , Kolfage, and two others, charging them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering . Each charge has a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison upon conviction. Federal prosecutors of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York allege that Bannon, United States Air Force veteran Kolfage, and
438-525: A "hate group," by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC). In August 2018, ProPublica and The Kansas City Star reported that none of the towns where Kobach helped to enact anti-immigration ordinances over a 13-year period still had those ordinances on the books. The ordinances were costly to defend in court, with some localities going bankrupt. At the same time, Kobach personally profited, earning more than $ 800,000 on legal work for
511-835: A 56-foot fence in Coolidge, located 120 miles north of the Mexican border. However, Arizona's then-U.S. Senator, Republican Martha McSally said that a barrier would not resolve the border crisis. In late 2018, Kobach joined with other right-wing political operatives, including billionaire Erik Prince , Trump's chief political strategist and former Breitbart editor Steve Bannon , Breitbart manager Brandon Darby , former Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Sheriff David Clarke , former Congressman Tom Tancredo and social media "fake news" scion, Brian Kolfage , to form an organization to raise funds ostensibly to facilitate construction of
584-498: A Salina City Council seat the next year, and a state House seat in 2010, he was found to have under-reported contributions by $ 35,000 and nearly $ 43,000 in expenditures in Kobach's 2010 campaign, resulting in a maximum $ 5,000 fine. Kobach complained that he was being discriminated against because former Republican governor Bill Graves received a much smaller fine for similar violations. Kobach alleged, "The only real distinction I can see
657-659: A barrier. Kolfage, a prodigious Internet fundraiser associated with a long history of dubious schemes using Facebook and GoFundMe to collect both money and potential contacts for exploitation, had raised tens of millions of donated dollars and asserted the organization would raise such private funds to construct hundreds of miles of their proposed border wall on private lands in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. As its prime organizer, in December 2018, Kolfage launched what he represented as an attempt to raise $ 1 billion via GoFundMe for
730-722: A deadline for tens of thousands of suspended voters to produce proof of citizenship, including the ACLU, the League of Women Voters (LWV), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the National Organization for Women (NOW), all testified in a Topeka hearing conducted by Brian Caskey, a Kobach appointee, against the implementation of Kobach's policy. Although Kobach's office
803-478: A federal worker verification program known as E-Verify in order to maintain a business license. The ordinance was upheld by Missouri federal judge E. Richard Webber on January 31, 2008 ( Gray v. Valley Park , 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7238). The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), representing the plaintiff, appealed the case to the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals . Kobach prevailed on appeal, and
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#1732801451664876-472: A lawsuit filed by construction contractors and immigrant organizations who sought to halt a state law that imposes severe penalties on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The plaintiffs appealed the ruling, but Arizona prevailed (with Kobach's assistance) in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ( Chicanos por la Causa v. Arizona , 558 F.3d 856; 2009). The case was further appealed to
949-474: A margin of nearly 19%. In 2009, records indicated that just seven allegations of voter fraud had been referred for investigation and possible prosecution, and just a single one had been prosecuted since 2004. In 2008, a similar bill was vetoed by then-Governor Kathleen Sebelius , a Democrat. However, on April 18, 2011, Governor Brownback signed Kobach's voter ID "SAFE" Act. Its core provisions are as follows: Attorney general of Kansas From Misplaced Pages,
1022-642: A member of the City Council of Overland Park, Kansas . He was later the 2004 Republican nominee in Kansas's 3rd congressional district , losing to Democratic incumbent Dennis Moore . He was elected Secretary of State of Kansas in 2010, winning nearly 60% of the total vote. As Secretary of State, Kobach implemented some of the strictest voter identification laws in the history of the United States, and fought to remove nearly 20,000 registered voters from
1095-482: A message to the GoFundMe page that he had decided raising money instead through a nonprofit would be more productive. His new 501(c)(4) nonprofit was called We Build The Wall Inc. through which he described his plans to have segments of the wall privately erected through negotiations with U.S. landowners along the border. GoFundMe however issued a statement after Kolfage's statement that it would give refunds unless
1168-586: A phone call between him and the president on January 23, 2019, Kobach reported that Trump endorsed the project saying, "...the project has my blessing, and you can tell the media that," though the White House had not independently confirmed that contention. In addition to Kolfage's history, another basic problem with the scheme was that almost all the land on the border is in the hands of the federal government, border states, and Native American tribes. The small number of privately owned border parcels in proximity to
1241-400: A primary author of Alabama HB 56 , passed in 2010, which was described as tougher than Arizona's law. Much of the law was invalidated on appeal at various levels of appeals courts or voluntarily withdrawn or reworded. Kobach visited Coolidge, Arizona to observe North Dakota's Fisher Industries demonstration of how it would build a border fence. Fisher maintained it could erect 218 miles of
1314-409: A program that mandated that men from 24 predominantly Muslim countries and North Korea be fingerprinted, photographed and questioned at government offices. Of the 83,000 plus men who did so, the government moved to deport 13,740 of them for immigration violations. Kobach ran for Kansas State Senate in 2000, finishing third out of four Republican primary candidates. In the 2004 election cycle , Kobach
1387-579: A team of attorneys and researchers who formulated and established the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System . In addition, he took part in work to reshape the Board of Immigration Appeals in 2002. After his government service ended, he returned to UMKC to teach law until he was elected Kansas Secretary of State. While running for Congress in 2004, Kobach represented out-of-state students on behalf of
1460-496: A third similar tuition lawsuit, this time in Nebraska. The case was dismissed in a Nebraska district court in December of that year, for plaintiffs' lack of legal standing. Kobach has litigated numerous lawsuits defending cities and states that adopt laws to discourage illegal immigration . He served as lead lawyer defending the city of Valley Park, Missouri in a federal case concerning an ordinance that requires businesses to use
1533-822: Is a retired United States circuit judge who served on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit . She was the Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law from 2011 to 2016. Born in Goodland , Kansas , Tacha received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1968 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School in 1971. She was a White House Fellow and special assistant to
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#17328014516641606-513: Is that I'm a conservative and he's a moderate." The chairman of the Kansas Ethics Commission said "The commission does not condone lack of candor before the commission." Commission members questioned Arpke's honesty, a recurrent theme in his subsequent career. When he obtained convictions of Kansans for interstate voting irregularities in 2016, Kobach said, "The fines are "exactly what I wanted to see in cases like this when I made
1679-450: Is the body that, partnered with Mexico, administers control of rivers along the border. The commission noted the gate impermissibly blocked a U.S. Government-owned levee road. "We Build the Wall" kept the gate closed, according to the commission, despite repeated requests to allow access. On June 10, the commission took the step of securing the gate open with a lock and chain in the daytime, only keeping it locked at night. On August 20, 2020,
1752-578: The California Court of Appeal held that California's law granting in-state tuition rates to undocumented immigrants was preempted by federal law. (Martinez v. Regents, 166 Cal. App. 4th 1121; 2008). In November 2010, the California Supreme Court unanimously reversed, finding that the law was not so preempted, because it was based on attendance for three years and graduation from a California high school. In 2010, Kobach filed
1825-522: The Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), in a lawsuit against the state of Kansas, challenging a state law which grants in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants. The suit was dismissed for lack of legal standing for the plaintiffs. In 2005, Kobach filed a lawsuit on behalf of FAIR's Immigration Reform Law Institute (IRLI), challenging a similar law in California. In September 2008,
1898-506: The League of Women Voters joined a challenge to Kobach's "proof of citizenship" requirements for Kansas Voters. In response to a caller on his March 1, 2015 radio show, Kobach agreed that it would not be "a huge jump" for the Obama administration to call for an end to the prosecution of all African-American suspects. The Kansas Democratic Party decried Kobach's comment as "hate speech" and termed it "a new low." Wichita's Oletha Faust-Goudeau ,
1971-739: The Secretary of Labor at the United States Department of Labor from 1971 to 1972. She was in private practice in Washington, D.C. , and Concordia , Kansas, from 1973 to 1974. She then served as Director of the Douglas County Legal Aid Clinic in Lawrence , Kansas, until 1977. She was also on the faculty of the University of Kansas School of Law from 1974 to 1985. On October 31, 1985, Tacha
2044-509: The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has designated as a hate group. While speaking on February 20, 2016, to a committee of the Kansas 2nd Congressional District delegates, regarding their challenges of the proof-of-citizenship voting law he championed in 2011, Kobach said: "The ACLU and their fellow communist friends, the League of Women Voters — you can quote me on that, sued". In February 2016, Kobach endorsed Donald Trump 's campaign for
2117-770: The Supreme Court of the United States . In June 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on the case Arizona v. United States , upholding the provision requiring immigration status checks during law enforcement stops but striking down three other provisions as violations of the Supremacy Clause of the United States Constitution . A 2015 ruling by the United States District Court for the District of Arizona limited
2190-501: The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals in Lawrence, Kansas . He began his professorship at the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law (UMKC) shortly thereafter. In 2001, President George W. Bush awarded him a White House Fellowship to work for Attorney General John Ashcroft . At the end of the fellowship, he stayed on as counsel to the attorney general. Shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001 , he led
2263-621: The Third Circuit Court of Appeals . In June 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated the Third Circuit's decision and remitted the case back to the Third Circuit for reconsideration. Sup. Ct. No 10-722. In July 2013, the Third Circuit concluded again that both the employment and housing provisions of the Hazleton ordinances were preempted by federal immigration law. Kobach became counsel in another lawsuit, in part involving
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2336-490: The 26th Annual Edward J. Devitt Distinguished Service to Justice Award from the American Judicature Society . On February 10, 2011, Tacha was named Dean of the Pepperdine University School of Law , taking up that post after retiring from the federal bench on June 1, 2011. She retired as Dean of Pepperdine University School of Law on December 31, 2016. She serves as chair of the executive committee of
2409-451: The ACLU and the ACLU's National Immigrants' Rights Project, were awarded $ 1.4 million in June 2014. As of January 2011, it was estimated that Kobach had received $ 6.6 million from jurisdictions as he defended their anti-immigration ordinances he had helped to create and/or defend. As of September 2017, Kobach was listed as " Of counsel " by IRLI, the legal arm of FAIR , which is described as
2482-592: The Court allowed the Valley Park ordinance to stand ( Gray v. Valley Park , 567 F.3d 976 (8th Cir. 2009)), saying that the ordinance "addresses the employment of illegal aliens, not Hispanics." Kobach was the lead attorney defending the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania , whose ordinances prohibiting employing and renting to illegal immigrants had been struck down by a federal judge in Pennsylvania and again before
2555-627: The Fifth Circuit granting an en banc rehearing by the entire Court . After losing there with the costs to the City by that December reaching $ 6.1 million, the City appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , which refused to hear its appeal in 2014. The city had engaged Kobach to help write the ordinance in October 2006. The plaintiffs in the case, including the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF),
2628-532: The Kansas American Civil Liberties Union for court costs in a proof-of-citizenship case which he lost. In September 2014, Democrat Chad Taylor announced he was withdrawing from that year's U.S. Senate race in Kansas. Kobach ruled that he had improperly filed his withdrawal, and his name had to remain on the ballot. Taylor claimed to have followed the instructions of Assistant Secretary of State Brad Bryant on his filing, which
2701-2100: The Kansas Attorney General's Office" . ag.ks.gov . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ "Attorney General of Kansas" . Ballotpedia . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ Carpenter, Tim (2023-04-17). "Kobach content with loss in governor's race, convinced job of attorney general much better fit • Kansas Reflector" . Kansas Reflector . Retrieved 2024-08-05 . ^ https://www.ag.ks.gov/divisions External links [ edit ] Official website [REDACTED] Kansas Attorney General Opinions at Washburn University website Attorney General publications at Kansas Government Information (KGI) Online Library (Archived) List of Kansas Attorneys General with short biographical information, provided by Kansas Historical Society v t e Executive offices of Kansas Governor of Kansas Lieutenant Governor Secretary of State Attorney General State Treasurer Insurance Commissioner Corporation Commission State Cabinet [REDACTED] v t e Attorneys general of Kansas [REDACTED] [REDACTED] Kansas Territory (1854–1861) Isacks Weer A. Davis State of Kansas (1861–present) Simpson Chadwick Stinson Guthrie Brumbaugh Hoyt Danford Williams Randolph W. Davis Johnston G. Smith Bradford Kellogg Ives Little Dawes Boyle Godard Coleman Jackson Dawson Brewster Hopkins Griffith W. Smith Boynton Beck Parker Mitchell Arn Fatzer Anderson Ferguson Londerholm Frizzell Miller Schneider Stephan Stovall Kline Morrison Six Schmidt Kobach v t e Attorneys general of
2774-687: The Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Taylor's withdrawal was proper and that Kobach had to remove Taylor's name from the ballot. On October 1, 2014, a panel of three Shawnee County judges ruled that the Kansas Democratic Party was not required by state law to fill the vacancy on the ballot; Kobach ordered the ballots to be printed the next day. Kobach was re-elected in November 2014 over moderate former Republican state senator and Democratic candidate Jean Kurtis Schodorf by
2847-464: The November general election . In July 2019, Kobach launched his campaign for the open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Senator Pat Roberts . He was defeated in the Republican primary by 14 percentage points by U.S. Representative Roger Marshall . He became the Republican nominee for Kansas Attorney General in 2022 and was narrowly elected to the post on November 8, 2022. Kobach
2920-460: The State of Kansas [REDACTED] Seal of the attorney general of Kansas [REDACTED] Incumbent Kris Kobach since January 9, 2023 Formation June 30, 1854 Website www .ag .ks .gov The attorney general of Kansas is a statewide elected official responsible for providing legal services to the state government of Kansas . Kris Kobach assumed
2993-407: The U.S. Presidency, citing his stance on immigration. He proposed a halt to what he said was $ 23 billion in annual remittances by Mexican nationals illegally living in the U.S. unless Mexico makes a one-time $ 5–10 billion payment for Trump's proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. On August 1, 2018, Kobach's office was ordered by federal judge Julie A. Robinson to pay $ 26,000 in attorney fees to
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3066-2372: The United States United States Attorney General : ▌ Merrick Garland (NP) AL ▌ Steve Marshall (R) AK ▌ Treg Taylor (R) AZ ▌ Kris Mayes (D) AR ▌ Tim Griffin (R) CA ▌ Rob Bonta (D) CO ▌ Phil Weiser (D) CT ▌ William Tong (D) DE ▌ Kathy Jennings (D) FL ▌ Ashley Moody (R) GA ▌ Christopher M. Carr (R) HI ▌ Anne E. Lopez (D) ID ▌ Raúl Labrador (R) IL ▌ Kwame Raoul (D) IN ▌ Todd Rokita (R) IA ▌ Brenna Bird (R) KS ▌ Kris Kobach (R) KY ▌ Russell Coleman (R) LA ▌ Liz Murrill (R) ME ▌ Aaron Frey (D) MD ▌ Anthony Brown (D) MA ▌ Andrea Campbell (D) MI ▌ Dana Nessel (D) MN ▌ Keith Ellison (DFL) MS ▌ Lynn Fitch (R) MO ▌ Andrew Bailey (R) MT ▌ Austin Knudsen (R) NE ▌ Mike Hilgers (R) NV ▌ Aaron D. Ford (D) NH ▌ John Formella (R) NJ ▌ Matt Platkin (D) NM ▌ Raúl Torrez (D) NY ▌ Letitia James (D) NC ▌ Josh Stein (D) ND ▌ Drew Wrigley (R) OH ▌ Dave Yost (R) OK ▌ Gentner Drummond (R) OR ▌ Ellen Rosenblum (D) PA ▌ Michelle Henry (D) RI ▌ Peter Neronha (D) SC ▌ Alan Wilson (R) SD ▌ Marty Jackley (R) TN ▌ Jonathan Skrmetti (R) TX ▌ Ken Paxton (R) UT ▌ Sean Reyes (R) VT ▌ Charity Clark (D) VA ▌ Jason Miyares (R) WA ▌ Bob Ferguson (D) WV ▌ Patrick Morrisey (R) WI ▌ Josh Kaul (D) WY ▌ Bridget Hill (R) Federal districts: DC ▌ Brian Schwalb (D) Territories: AS ▌ Fainu'ulelei Alailima-Utu GU ▌ Doug Moylan (R) MP ▌ Ed Manibusan (D) PR ▌ Domingo Emanuelli (NPP) VI ▌ Gordon Rhea Political party affiliations ▌ 28 Republicans (27 states, 1 territory) ▌ 25 Democrats (23 states, 1 territory, 1 district) ▌ 1 New Progressive (1 territory) ▌ 2 Unknown (2 territories) An asterisk (*) indicates that
3139-2847: The United States [REDACTED] Politics portal v t e Image Name Term Party Benjamin Franklin Simpson 1861 Republican Charles Chadwick 1861 Samuel Adams Stinson 1861–1863 Democratic Warren William Guthrie 1863–1865 Republican Jerome D. Brumbaugh 1865–1867 [REDACTED] George Henry Hoyt 1867–1869 Addison Danford 1869–1871 Archibald L. Williams 1871–1875 Asa Maxson Fitz Randolph 1875–1877 Willard Davis 1877–1881 [REDACTED] William Agnew Johnston 1881–1884 George Price Smith 1884–1885 Democratic Simeon Briggs Bradford 1885–1889 Republican [REDACTED] Lyman Beecher Kellogg 1889–1891 John Nutt Ives 1891–1893 Democratic John Thomas Little 1893–1895 Populist Fernando Brenton Dawes 1895–1897 Republican [REDACTED] Louis C. Boyle 1897–1899 Populist Aretas Allen Godard 1899–1903 Republican Chiles Crittendon Coleman 1903–1907 [REDACTED] Fred Schuyler Jackson 1907–1911 [REDACTED] John Shaw Dawson 1911–1915 Sardius Mason Brewster 1915–1919 Richard Joseph Hopkins 1919–1923 Charles Benjamin Griffith 1923–1927 William A. Smith 1927–1930 Roland Boynton 1930–1935 Clarence Victor Beck 1935–1939 Jay S. Parker 1939–1943 Alexander Baldwin Mitchell 1943–1947 [REDACTED] Edward F. Arn 1947–1949 Harold Ralph Fatzer 1949–1956 [REDACTED] John Anderson Jr. 1956–1961 William M. Ferguson 1961–1965 Robert C. Londerholm 1965–1969 [REDACTED] Kent Frizzell 1969–1971 Vern Miller 1971–1975 Democratic Curt T. Schneider 1975–1979 Robert Stephan 1979–1995 Republican Carla J. Stovall 1995–2003 [REDACTED] Phill Kline 2003–2007 [REDACTED] Paul J. Morrison 2007–2008 Democratic Stephen Six 2008–2011 [REDACTED] Derek Schmidt 2011–2023 Republican [REDACTED] Kris Kobach 2023–present References [ edit ] ^ "About
3212-544: The Wall succeeded in constructing approximately a half mile of border wall in an area that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had previously described as too difficult to build wall. It begins at the Texas-New Mexico border and climbs 300 feet in elevation on the side of Mount Cristo Rey in Sunland Park, New Mexico. In completing the section of wall, We Build the Wall closed a major drug and alien smuggling gap on
3285-616: The barrier for $ 3.3 billion and be able to complete it in 13 months. Spin cameras positioned atop the fence would use facial recognition technology. Fiber optic cables buried in the ground could detect and differentiate between human activity, vehicles, tunneling, and animals as distant as 40 feet away. The Arizona barrier would be constructed with 42 miles near Yuma and 91 miles near Tucson, Arizona , plus 69 miles near El Paso, Texas , and 15 more miles near El Centro, California . It would reportedly cost $ 12.5 million per mile. Louisiana Republican U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy said he traveled with
3358-619: The broad changes he introduced to election efforts. As chairman, he raised money for targeted statewide and legislative races and instituted a direct-role policy for the state party in those races. He also pushed the State Committee to create a "loyalty committee", which was charged with sanctioning Republicans who assisted Democratic candidates in contested races. This led to several party officers being stripped of voting rights in party matters as punishment for giving campaign contributions to Democratic Candidates. After Kobach left office,
3431-434: The case before Kansas Legislature that this authority was needed ... A $ 5,000 fine is very significant, and hopefully something no one would want to have to pay", he said. The 2012 Republican Party platform included self-deportation as a response to illegal immigration to the United States . Kobach proposed the measure, stating "If you really want to create a job tomorrow, you can remove an illegal alien today." In 2013,
3504-814: The course. From Harvard, Kobach went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in politics from Brasenose College of Oxford University , having been selected for a Marshall Scholarship . Returning to the U.S., he earned a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1995, and became an editor of the Yale Law Journal . During this time, Kobach published two books: The Referendum: Direct Democracy in Switzerland (Dartmouth, 1994), and Political Capital: The Motives, Tactics, and Goals of Politicized Businesses in South Africa (University Press of America, 1990). From 1995 to 1996, Kobach clerked for Judge Deanell R. Tacha of
3577-483: The demarcation are widely dispersed, leaving few opportunities to allow for the construction of any connected barriers. That left open the question, for what purpose would all that money actually be used? As the money Kolfage was accumulating was going to a 501(c)4, it could all be spent as "dark money" in political campaigns, with next to no public reporting of expenditures required. However, in May-June 2019, We Build
3650-420: The donor chose to opt into the change to where the donations would go. Kobach said that 94% of the donors agreed to have their contributions disbursed to the 501(c)4. By January 2019, Kobach joined Kolfage's advisory board, saying he was currently unpaid, but might take a paid position with Kolfage's organization. Kobach indicated the most substantial problems along the border were "litter and security." Regarding
3723-480: The effectiveness of the lone provision of SB 1070 that had been upheld as constitutional. Sheriff Joe Arpaio , who had hired Kobach, lost re-election in 2016. The suit cost the county over $ 56,000,000 in legal fees and costs. During this litigation, it was revealed that Kobach was paid $ 300 per hour to train the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office in regard to immigration matters. Kobach was cited as
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#17328014516643796-595: The 💕 (Redirected from Attorney general of Kansas ) Attorney general for the U.S. state of Kansas [REDACTED] This article needs additional citations for verification . Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources . Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Kansas Attorney General" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR ( August 2024 ) ( Learn how and when to remove this message ) Attorney General of
3869-573: The group of politicians over the Easter recess to Coolidge, which is 120 miles north of the Mexico border, because he felt that not enough barrier and border enhancements had been erected since Donald Trump became president 27 months previously. North Dakota's junior U.S. Senator, Republican Kevin Cramer , was there to promote his state's firm, Fisher Industries, which demonstrated its ability by constructing
3942-412: The imposition of a national consumption (sales) tax. He was given a speaking role on the opening day of the 2004 Republican National Convention and used his slot to call for the U.S. military to be sent to the Mexican border to block illegal immigration. On January 28, 2007, Kobach was elected chairman of the Kansas Republican Party (GOP), serving until January 2009. Kobach's chairmanship was noted for
4015-606: The last 11 months than the previous two years." On May 26, 2009, Kobach announced his candidacy for Kansas Secretary of State . His opponents in the Republican primary were Shawnee County Election Commissioner Elizabeth Ensley and J.R. Claeys, former president of the National Association of Government Contractors. Kobach won the Republican nomination with 50.6% of the vote. Ensley and Claeys finished with 27.0% and 22.4%, respectively. On November 2, 2010, Kobach defeated incumbent Democrat Chris Biggs , 59%–37%. Kobach
4088-473: The localities over a 13-year period, paid both by the localities and an anti-immigration advocacy group. Kobach played a significant role in the drafting of Arizona SB 1070 , a state law that attracted national attention as the country's broadest and strictest—at the state level—illegal immigration measure, and has assisted in defending the state during the ongoing legal battle over SB 1070's legality. On February 7, 2008, Federal Judge Neil V. Wake ruled against
4161-2378: The office on January 9, 2023. Divisions [ edit ] Administration Division Civil Division Criminal Division Kansas Bureau of Investigation Office of the Medicaid Inspector General Office of the Solicitor General Public Protection Division Special Litigation & Constitutional Issues Division Victim Services Division Youth Services Division Officeholders [ edit ] Kansas Territory attorneys general [ edit ] Name Term Party Andrew Jackson Isacks 1854–1857 William Weer 1857–1858 Alson C. Davis 1858–1861 State attorneys general [ edit ] Politics of Kansas [REDACTED] Constitution United States Constitution Kansas Constitution Executive Government Governor : Laura Kelly (D) Lieutenant Governor : David Toland (R) Secretary of State : Scott Schwab (R) Attorney General : Derek Schmidt (R) State Treasurer : Lynn Rogers (D) Insurance Commissioner : Vicki Schmidt (R) Corporation Commission State Cabinet Legislature Legislature : Kansas Legislature Senate President: Ty Masterson (R) Vice President: Rick Wilborn (R) Majority Leader: Larry Alley (R) Minority Leader: Dinah Sykes (D) House of Representatives Speaker: Ron Ryckman Jr. (R) Speaker pro tempore: Blaine Finch (R) Majority Leader: Dan Hawkins (R) Minority Leader: Tom Sawyer (D) Judiciary Courts of Kansas Supreme Court Court of Appeals Court of Impeachment Political parties Political parties Democratic Party Republican Party Political party strength Divisions Counties Cities and towns Congressional delegation Senate Pat Roberts (R) Roger Marshall (R) House of Representatives 1 : Tracey Mann (R) 2 : Jake LaTurner (R) 3 : Sharice Davids (D 4 : Ron Estes (R) Politics of
4234-707: The officeholder is serving in an acting capacity. State abbreviations link to position articles. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kansas_Attorney_General&oldid=1254842477 " Categories : Kansas attorneys general 1854 establishments in Kansas Territory Kansas law-related lists Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description matches Wikidata Articles needing additional references from August 2024 All articles needing additional references Deanell Reece Tacha Deanell Reece Tacha (born January 26, 1946)
4307-541: The only African-American woman in the Kansas Senate, called Kobach's comments ridiculous. Kobach said that he stood by his allegations declaring, "My point was to bring attention to the Obama Justice Department's position that some civil rights statutes can't be enforced against people of color", Kobach said. "For example, one of the Obama administration's first actions it took in 2009 was to drop
4380-605: The project until the day before the indictment, saying "You've been the leader of this, assisting President Trump in building this wall in these tough areas" in his War Room: Pandemic podcast. On January 20, 2021, eight hours before he left office, Trump issued a pardon for Bannon. Kobach won a seat on the Overland Park City Council, in April 1999. Following the September 11 attacks, Kobach helped construct
4453-665: The slam-dunk charges against the New Black Panther Party for voter intimidation." One Republican member of the Civil Rights Commission disagreed, however. Abigail Thernstrom, writing in National Review , described the incident as "small potatoes". She warned that exaggerating its importance could hurt conservatives, noting that in 45 years there had only been three successful prosecutions. She said only two "Panthers," one of whom displayed
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#17328014516644526-399: The southern border. The Border Patrol sector chief for the area called the newly constructed wall, "a game changer" in her remarks to the press. In early June, 2019, at the eastern end of the newly constructed wall, the We Build the Wall constructed an access gate on federal land under the jurisdiction of the United States element of the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). That
4599-457: The state's voter rolls, frequently spreading false claims of widespread election fraud in the U.S. Kobach announced in June 2017 that he would run in the 2018 primary for Governor of Kansas against then-Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer . Colyer became governor in January 2018 following the resignation of Sam Brownback , but was narrowly defeated by Kobach in the Republican primary by less than 500 votes, Democrat Laura Kelly defeated Kobach in
4672-400: The two other defendants used funds received from the We Build the Wall fundraising campaign, marketed to support the building of a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico , in a way which was "inconsistent" with how they were advertised for use to the public. According to the indictment, donations were collected through a GoFundMe campaign that was launched in December 2018. Bannon promoted
4745-406: The wall's construction. Kolfage stated that the target figure was achievable, adding "This won't be easy, but it's our duty as citizens". In December 2018, he emailed the Washington Post , stating that he started the fundraiser because "political games from both parties" had held back funding for the proposed wall. Within three days, over $ 9 million had been raised. In January 2019, Kolfage posted
4818-456: Was also elected to Phi Beta Kappa . The director of Harvard's Center for International Affairs , Professor Samuel P. Huntington , was Kobach's faculty advisor from 1984 to 1988. Huntington believed that migration, especially from Mexico and Latin America, represented the most perilous threat to what he called the " American identity ." When Kobach taught law at the University of Missouri-Kansas City , Huntington's writings were required reading in
4891-506: Was born in Madison, Wisconsin on March 26, 1966. His family moved to Topeka, Kansas when he was seven years old, where his father owned a Buick dealership, that Kobach worked at while in high school. In 1984, Kobach graduated from Washburn Rural High School in Topeka, Kansas , where he was co-valedictorian, and the student body class president. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from Harvard University , graduating summa cum laude and first in his department. Kobach
4964-425: Was completed within the appropriate time frame. Citing concurrence from Attorney General Derek Schmidt , Kobach's move was cheered by the Kansas Republican Party. Both Kobach and Schmidt were members of Republican U.S. Senator Pat Roberts ' honorary campaign committee. Taylor's attempt to withdraw left the race more open for independent Greg Orman , strengthening his challenge to Sen. Roberts. On September 18, 2014,
5037-404: Was endorsed by Tennessee's former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson , as well as former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft (his former boss at the Dept. of Justice). Joe Arpaio , Arizona's controversial then-Sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona , campaigned for Kobach as well. Although Kobach's campaign treasurer, Tom Arpke , possessed campaign experience, losing a state senate race in 2008, winning
5110-430: Was getting her " pant suit in a twist", over his stance in favor of implementing some of the most strictly enforced voter ID laws in the United States . Clinton had claimed Kobach's interventions were an attempt to make voting more difficult for key Democratic constituencies, such as young people and racial minorities. In October 2015, Kobach spoke at a conference organized by Social Contract Press , an organization that
5183-425: Was in the building adjacent to the courthouse, he failed to appear for the rule change hearing and to answer questions. Instead, his request was supported by Andrew Howell, a Shawnee county elections official whom Kobach also had appointed. In response to criticism levied by the campaign staff of former secretary of state Hillary Clinton , Kobach characterized them as "left-wing knuckleheads". He remarked that Clinton
5256-789: Was nominated by President Ronald Reagan to a new seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit created by 98 Stat. 333. She was confirmed by the United States Senate on December 16, 1985, and received her commission the same day. She served as Chief Judge of the Circuit from 2001 to 2008, and was succeeded by Judge Robert Harlan Henry . She also served as a member of the United States Sentencing Commission from 1994 to 1998. Tacha took senior status on January 27, 2011. She retired completely on June 1, 2011. In 2008, Tacha received
5329-431: Was the Republican nominee for Congress in the 3rd District , narrowly besting primary opponent and 2002 party nominee Adam Taff by 207 votes, with state representative Patricia Lightner far behind. He lost to incumbent Dennis Moore , 55%–43%. The victory was the largest of Moore's congressional campaigns. The campaign thrust Kobach onto the national stage, mostly due to his stance on illegal immigration. Kobach advocated for
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