Ex-Kansas Attorney General Defends Himself in Abortion Ethics Case
Former Kansas attorney general Phill Kline filed a 175 page response defending himself in an ethics case, in which he allegedly violated several of the state's ethics codes during a 2007 investigation of abortion clinics.
Kline completely defends himself in his response, filed Thursday. On the title page of the response, Kline quotes Psalms 70, which reads “May those who seek my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.”
A three person panel filed a report on Oct. 13, following a complaint filed against Kline regarding the ex-attorney general's ethical practices in a 2007 abortion investigation.
In 2007, Kline filed 107 criminal charges against Planned Parenthood, accusing the abortion providers of illegal practices. The filing followed an investigation of late-term abortion Dr. George Tiller.
The complaint accused Kline of violating prosecutorial responsibilities in the 2007 investigation, according to the Kansas City Star. The complaint also accused Kline of misleading officials, including a grand jury, in the further investigation of Kansas’ abortion providers, as well as mishandling personal medical documents.
Kline defended himself throughout the trial, testifying in Feb. 2011 that he and his subordinates had the right to mislead state agencies in the abortion investigations.
The three person panel ruled that Kline’s license be suspended indefinitely, saying Kline practiced dishonest motives in the 2007 abortion investigation.
Critics argue that Kline, a staunch anti-abortion Republican, purposefully misled the jury and exercised a conflict of interest during the 2007 investigation.
Kline discussed his prosecution against Dr. Tiller on the O'Reilly Factor before Nov. 2006, a move which the court rules violates trial publicity law.
Kline argued that all he did was repeat the trial's indictment on the O'Reilly Factor, ergo not violating any privacy laws.
Kline continues to argue that he did no wrong in his 2007 investigation, saying that the ethics complaint filed against him was politically motivated, according to the Kansas City Star.
Political analyst Bill O'Reilly defended Phill Kline, saying that the defendant was a victim of a political witch hunt.
