State Sen. Jim Barnett and his campaign for governor may have been the victims of a crime, Barnett said Wednesday night.
“Both the campaign and I, as an individual, have been the victim of apparent criminal activity,” he said.
Deputy Police Chief Mike Williams confirmed this morning that his department is investigating the complaint. Neither Williams nor Barnett would state the specific activities that were being examined.
“There is an investigation going on and that’s all I can tell you at the moment,” Williams said.
Barnett refused to answer further questions about the case, saying he did not want to jeopardize the investigation.
“My focus right now is the legislative session,” said Barnett, who today was planning to reintroduce his “Kansas Health Care Connector” model, a health-insurance proposal he raised during the 2006 campaign.
Incumbent Gov. Kathleen Sebelius defeated Barnett in November with 58 percent of the vote. In the three months before the election, her campaign spent more than $4 million, more than five times the amount spent by Barnett’s campaign.