By ELIZABETH MATTHEWS

PARSONS, KAN. - Labette Community College President Dr. George Knox is under fire for asking to be reimbursed for a political campaign donation.

 

Missing check prompts concern about donation

The issue began during a regular Board of Trustees meeting when the members were asked to approve the claims register, a list of checks written by the college.

Mike Howerter noticed a check number missing and asked for a complete list of paid items.

"I found this check for $500 that was a refund for Dr. George Knox who had donated this money to the political campaign of the state treasurer," Howerter told us.

The money had been donated by President Knox to Dennis McKinney's campaign for state treasurer.

Howerter says, as a representative of the college, President Knox can not donate to a private political campaign.

 

President gets $2,000 allowance to represent the college

Howerter says the president of Labette Community College has $2,000 of non-public funds for limited events where he represents the college officially within the college community.

Examples of these activities include charity golf tournaments and donations to charitable organizations within the college community.

Howerter told us under state law the president is not allowed to use public funds for political purposes.

"This allowance that it calls for in there doesn't not say anything about donating money to a political campaign," says Howerter.  "Nowhere does it give approval for that and nowhere would it be permitted."

Howerter says he has been told that Knox did not give the money to McKinney, but instead used it to host an event for the candidate.

Howerter says he was told "the trustees don't need this information because we have pre-approved these bills.  My contingent is that I am the trustee and I need to see every check that they write."

He says the problem is not the donation, it is that the college has now paid for that donation.

"I was elected to do a job and my job is not to protect the community college, my job is to look out for the interest in the citizens of this county and they have a right to know anything that goes on there," Howerter says.

 

Controversey not new to Knox, as LCC legal counsel looks into the issue

President George Knox had resigned as president of Cloud County Community College in Kansas and took the job at LCC.

While he was at Cloud County a grand jury investigated Knox's spending habits.  He was not indicted but the grand jury called his spending "frivolous".

President Knox declined an interview on Tuesday but LCC Director of Public Relations Bethany Kendrick did provide us with this statement:

"This matter is being looked into by our legal counsel.  If there is any issue, corrective action will be taken.  We have no further comment at this time."