Friday, October 19, 2012

Steineger: Allegations "typical election year politics"

By NICK SLOAN, NJSloan212@gmail.com

Kansas Sen. Chris Steineger (Republican) said he was contacted by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation earlier this year, but said he is not currently under investigation by the state.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reported this week on Steineger's ownership of property at the former Lowell Elementary School. The former elementary school was converted into housing units.

Steineger, the former Democrat-turned Republican, called the allegations against him an example of "hard-core political partisans who hate my politics," Steineger told The Topeka Capital-Journal.

"Earlier this year I was contacted by the KBI, was asked and answered questions regarding the Lowell School project, the investigation was concluded, and I have never seen a report since," Steineger said in a statement.

The statement came after Wyandotte County Democratic Chairman Matt Watkins accused Steineger of accepting "thousands of dollars" from the federal government in connection the project.

"According to multiple sources, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation is in the process of conducting an investigation to determine if Sen. Steineger used these taxpayer dollars illegally," Watkins said in a statement earlier this week. "Sen. Steineger needs to immediately address these allegations of corruption and illegal behavior."

Steinger became a Republican in 2010. The issue was not brought up during a political candidate forum this week at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

He's running against Democratic challenger Pat Pettey.