Politicalization of watchdog group has placed the public at risk

Topeka, KS — Kansans for Truth in Politics (K-TIP) has released a report today that shows that Gov. Kathleen Sebelius has handed out appointments to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts (KSBHA) in exchange for or as an award for campaign contributions totaling over $24,000.
The KSBHA is the state agency responsibly for oversight and discipline in the medical field.
A number of members of the KSBHA were listed as contributing, some heavily, to Sebelius, including the board’s Executive Director Larry Buening and his wife, Vicki, and a doctor who has been banned from practicing medicine in Missouri.
K-TIP reports, “In 2005, Sebelius nominated a doctor facing multiple charges of professional misbehavior to the Kansas State Board of Healing Arts. Howard Ellis, when no longer able to practice medicine in Missouri, was asked to judge the conduct of other physicians in the state of Kansas. Ellis contributed $4,000.00 to Sebelius in 2002, calling into question the integrity of the KSBHA.”
According to K-TIP, Sebelius has used the KSBHA to protect another large campaign contributor, abortionist George R. Tiller. Sebelius intervened in a KSBHA investigation into the death of Christin Gilbert, prompting the Board to prematurely clear Tiller five months before the autopsy report was released and a cause of death determined.
An Operation Rescue source inside a grand jury that investigated Gilbert’s death indicated that KSBHA members were arrogant and obstructive, and told them that her abortion process had been “standard protocol”, in spite of the fact that several irregularities surfaced, including clear violations of KSBHA regulations.
“It appears Kathleen Sebelius is willing to sell a number of things that don’t belong to her — namely, seats on the KSBHA and exemption from the law,” said the K-TIP article.
“The Kansas State Board of Healing Arts has lost all credibility, and simply cannot be trusted to properly oversee the medical community,” said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
“There must be reform within the KSBHA and the agency must be depoliticized,” said Newman. “Gov. Sebelius must stop using KSBHA positions as political rewards. This cronyism and corruption is endangering lives, and because of that we cannot just turn and look the other way.”
Read entire K-TIP report which includes a full list of KSBHA contributors to Sebelius campaign coffers.