Republican Congressman Steve Watkins has been charged with voter fraud related to the November 2019 election, Shawnee County District Attorney Mike Kagay announced Tuesday. Watkins, who represents the second district of Kansas, now faces three felony charges and one misdemeanor.
Kagay, a Republican, announced that Watkins has been accused of interfering with law enforcement by providing false information, voting without being a qualified and illegal early vote, all of which are serious crimes. He has also been charged with the misdemeanor of failing to notify DMV of a change of address.
The charges stem from a December 2019 investigation into Watkins using the address of a UPS store in Topeka, Kansas, as his residential address on a voter registration form. While this address is still located in its congressional district, it was located in a municipal council district that had a determined election by only 13 votes in November 2019.
Watkins’ charges were announced less than an hour before his Republican primary debate, and less than a month before the state’s congressional primaries on August 4. In the debate, he called the charges “clearly hyperpolitical” and “highly suspicious.” He also said he has not yet seen the specific charges and hopes to “set the record straight.”
“I have done nothing wrong, as soon as I realized that I put my mailing address in place of my physical address, we fixed it … we have fully cooperated with the district attorney,” he said in the debate. “My opponent shares a consultant with the district attorney, and that is quite suspicious.”
One of his two main opponents, Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, attacked Watkins on the charges early in the debate, saying the scandal could put the district at political risk.
“Steve Watkins has to take responsibility for what he’s done and take it on and deal with the legal issues that come his way. The rest of us, meanwhile, have to keep this seat in Republican hands,” he said.
Scott Olson / Getty Images
Watkins won this district, which is located west of Kansas City, by less than a point in 2018. Following the announcement of Watkins’ investigation, the Democratic Congress Campaign Committee, which channeled more than $ 3 million to try to change the seat in 2018, put the seat back on your wish list.
“If you want to be trusted with the wording of our laws, you must at least follow them,” DCCC spokesman Brooke Goren said in a statement. “Steve Watkins has shown that he cannot pass this basic test, and it is clear why the Kansans are ready for a change.”
Democrats running include Topeka, Kansas, Mayor Michelle De La Isla, and University of Kansas Graduate Assistant James Windholz. Republicans LaTurner and former County Commissioner Dennis Taylor are challenging Watkins for the primaries.
“The charges against Congressman Watkins are serious and I will let our legal system examine them,” De La Isla said in a statement. “In the meantime, I will continue to work on the issues I hear every day: the need for quality affordable health care and well-paying jobs throughout our community.”
In November 2019, Watkins was announced as an honorary co-chair of Trump’s re-election campaign and was endorsed by Trump and Vice President Mike Pence.
.
