By Leslie Collins
Northeast News
April 27, 2011

Kansas City’s ethics commission hasn’t forgotten about 3rd District City Council candidate Michael Fletcher.

After launching a formal investigation of two campaign contributions to Fletcher, the commission is ready to turn over their findings to the city prosecutor’s office.

Since their Feb. 9 meeting, the Municipal Officials and Officers Ethics Commission has questioned two contributions to Fletcher’s campaign, which exceeded campaign contribution limits set forth by City Ordinance 2-53. City Ordinance 2-53 stipulates city council candidates cannot exceed $1,500 per contributor. Although the ordinance was adopted March 7, 2010, Fletcher received two contributions exceeding that limit more than four months later. Contributions came from Fletcher’s then-attorney, Michael T. Yonke, $2,000 and from Geoffrey C. Garth of Long Beach Calif., $5,000.

Fletcher’s then-campaign treasurer Charles Menifee pleaded ignorance to the ordinance and Fletcher defended himself via e-mail saying the State of Missouri does not set campaign contribution limits in municipal elections. Therefore, he said, state law trumps the city ordinance.

The city disagrees.

When the ethics commission notified Fletcher to return the excess funds to the contributors by March 11, Yonke requested an extension on behalf of Fletcher. Yonke said Fletcher assured him the funds would be returned by March 23. Since the ethics commission met March 9, two days before the deadline, they voted to table the item until their April 20 meeting.

By April 20, Fletcher had yet to return the funds.

Kansas City Internal Auditor Roy Greenway e-mailed Fletcher March 21, requesting he confirm whether or not he refunded the contributors. Greenway also requested proof of the cancelled checks.

Fletcher sent back a blank e-mail the same day, which Greenway brought to Fletcher’s attention. Twenty-seven days later, Fletcher replied.

“I have not funded the money to refund the contributions to Mr. Yonke or Mr. Garth,” Fletcher wrote in his e-mail. “The reason this has not occurred is that refund check from KRPS/KPRT has not yet arrived.”

Fletcher further stated the refund check should arrive the week of April 18 and that he would send checks to Yonke and Garth as soon as the check arrived.

“So, he’s asking us to hinge his liability to KRPS,” commissioner Judy Gibson said, frowning. “It looks like he’s asking for more time.”

Commissioner Barbara Glesner-Fines questioned why Fletcher didn’t notify the board earlier of his funding issues.

“It’s really not an astronomical amount,” Gibson said. “I could really see being stringent if it was $20,000 or $30,000, but it’s $4,000.”

Commissioner Kevin Schorql said the commission had given Fletcher enough time.

“I personally think we have given him enough time,” Schorql said. “I think it might be time to pass this up the chain of command.”

Commissioners Gibson, Glesner-Fines, Schorql and Jalilah Otto voted to have Senior Associate City Attorney Cecilia O’Connor Abbott draft the commission’s findings. Member Jean Ferrara was absent. Commissioners will review the findings during an April 26 teleconference. Upon approval, the findings will be sent to the city prosecutor’s office.