Butch Felker
Encyclopedia
Harry L. "Butch" Felker III (September 13, 1945 – January 3, 2008) was a Kansas
politician
and former mayor
of Topeka, Kansas
who served two full terms and one partial term, resigning in 2003 due to political pressure as a result of a scandal.
Felker lived in Kansas his whole life, having attended Topeka public schools and then Washburn University
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Political Science
in 1967. He subsequently attended Washburn School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor
in 1972. Following school, he first entered in the public life as the elected Parks and Recreation commissioner of Topeka, a position he held from 1975 to 1985. He subsequently ran for mayor in 1989 and served for two terms before resigning due to health problems in 1997. In 2001, he ran for mayor again and served until 2003 before resigning amid a scandal. After leaving office, he ran the nonprofit Heartland Park Foundation. His son, Joseph, began a career in professional writing outside of Indianapolis in the summer of 2006.
laws. This included allegations that employees of the Topeka Convention and Visitors Bureau filed false travel expense reports and subsequently donated the money to Felker's re-election campaign. The sources of these donations were also not properly documented by the campaign. In July 2003, he pled guilty to three ethics violations and two other ethics charges were subsequently dropped. He was fined $7500.
As a result of those violations, and of other alleged misconduct, the Shawnee County District Attorney
Robert Hecht brought an ouster trial against Felker and suspended him from work October 10, 2003. The trial had been scheduled for November 17, 2003, although it was cancelled after Felker resigned from office on November 6. Duane Pomeroy
, his deputy mayor, became the acting mayor following his resignation and during his suspension.
In 2005, a second ethical complaint on the same incident was filed by a Kansas state disciplinary panel, this time alleging that he broke rules of professional conduct for lawyers.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Topeka, Kansas
Topeka, Kansas
Topeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
who served two full terms and one partial term, resigning in 2003 due to political pressure as a result of a scandal.
Felker lived in Kansas his whole life, having attended Topeka public schools and then Washburn University
Washburn University
Washburn University is a co-educational, public institution of higher learning in Topeka, Kansas, USA. It offers undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as professional programs in law and business. Washburn has 550 faculty members, who teach more than 6,400 undergraduate students and...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in 1967. He subsequently attended Washburn School of Law where he earned his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1972. Following school, he first entered in the public life as the elected Parks and Recreation commissioner of Topeka, a position he held from 1975 to 1985. He subsequently ran for mayor in 1989 and served for two terms before resigning due to health problems in 1997. In 2001, he ran for mayor again and served until 2003 before resigning amid a scandal. After leaving office, he ran the nonprofit Heartland Park Foundation. His son, Joseph, began a career in professional writing outside of Indianapolis in the summer of 2006.
Scandal and resignation
In 2002, Felker was investigated by the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission who charged him with six counts of violating the state's campaign financeCampaign finance
Campaign finance refers to all funds that are raised and spent in order to promote candidates, parties or policies in some sort of electoral contest. In modern democracies such funds are not necessarily devoted to election campaigns. Issue campaigns in referendums, party activities and party...
laws. This included allegations that employees of the Topeka Convention and Visitors Bureau filed false travel expense reports and subsequently donated the money to Felker's re-election campaign. The sources of these donations were also not properly documented by the campaign. In July 2003, he pled guilty to three ethics violations and two other ethics charges were subsequently dropped. He was fined $7500.
As a result of those violations, and of other alleged misconduct, the Shawnee County District Attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Robert Hecht brought an ouster trial against Felker and suspended him from work October 10, 2003. The trial had been scheduled for November 17, 2003, although it was cancelled after Felker resigned from office on November 6. Duane Pomeroy
Duane Pomeroy
Duane Pomeroy is a Kansas politician and teacher who has served on the Topeka city council continuously since January 1993, was deputy mayor of Topeka, Kansas under Butch Felker, and then became acting mayor from November 2003 to early January 2004 after a scandal forced Felker's resignation...
, his deputy mayor, became the acting mayor following his resignation and during his suspension.
In 2005, a second ethical complaint on the same incident was filed by a Kansas state disciplinary panel, this time alleging that he broke rules of professional conduct for lawyers.