Kansas Attorney General Sex Scandal Also Rocks Abortion Investigations

State   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 9, 2007   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Kansas Attorney General Sex Scandal Also Rocks Abortion Investigations Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 9,
2007

Topeka, KS (LifeNews.com) — Kansas Attorney General Paul Morrison has been rocked by a sexual harassment claim tied to an affair he had with a subordinate employee when he served as the Johnson County Attorney. Morrison is accused of urging the employee to gather information in a case his replacement is building against an abortion center.

Morrison has admitted to having an affair with Linda Carter, who was his director of administration at the county attorney’s office.

She resigned her job at the end of November and filed a sexual harassment complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In the claim, Carter alleges that Morrison pressured her in a number of political ways, including asking her to obtain confidential documents in the case new Johnson County Attorney Phill Kline, the former state attorney general, is building against a Planned Parenthood abortion business in Overland Park.

Morrison has condemned Kline for investigating the abortion center and filing charges of illegal abortions and improper paperwork after Morrison dismissed similar state charges Kline at filed against Planned Parenthood.

Carter also alleges that the two had a lengthy discussion about Morrison’s charges against Wichita abortion practitioner George Tiller.

Morrison talked with the media this weekend and confirmed the affair, but denied he pressured Carter into gathering information about the abortion case.

“Many of the claims made by Linda Carter are false,” Morrison said. “Unfortunately, it is true, however, that I once had a consensual relationship with Mrs. Carter. And I profoundly regret that I did.”

“Any allegation that I used the relationship to influence litigation is absolutely false,” Morrison said. “The only people attempting to use this painful and personal information for their own benefit are Mrs. Carter and her boss, Phill Kline.”

Kline’s office declined to speak with the media about the allegations.

But Mary Kay Culp, the director of Kansas for Life, spoke with LifeNews.com about the Morrison scandal — and she called on Morrison to resign.

"Personal and professional errors this serious, especially when committed while presenting himself as the ethically superior candidate for Attorney General, reflect such a profound lack of judgment and honesty that Morrison should resign," Culp said.

Culp also says the scandal explains some of the actions Morrison has or hasn’t taken in both the Planned Parenthood and Tiller cases.

"This illustration of his flawed and desperate thinking goes a long way toward explaining his actions," Culp concluded.