KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kansas taxpayers could be on the hook for over $50,000 in legal fees stemming from a contempt of court ruling against Secretary of State and Republican gubernatorial candidate Kris Kobach.
The American Civil Liberties Union has submitted its attorney fees to US District Judge Julie Robinson, who ruled last month that Kobach was in contempt for allegedly ignoring the judge’s directions to stop enforcement of the state’s proof of citizenship law for voters and to inform voters they could vote without having the right documentation in hand, thus following federal guidelines instead of state law. The ACLU is seeking almost $52,000 in the case.
The Secretary of State’s Office is appealing both the ruling and Robinson’s directive for Kobach to pay attorney fees and court costs. Lawmakers are letting the office pay those costs instead of having the money come out of Kobach’s pocket, depending on how the appeal goes.
The contempt ruling was part of the larger lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union against Kobach that went to trial last month. The ACLU sued Kobach on behalf of state voters and the League of Women Voters, claiming the state’s requirement that people produce documents like birth certificates or passports to register at motor vehicle offices is illegal because it violates federal laws requiring minimal information to register.
