Wuthnow claims blackmail, launches write-in campaign

>Just hours after Mike Watkins was named as a possible future undersheriff by candidate Bruce Jolliff, current Sheriff A.J. Wuthnow responded with a letter to media implicating Watkins with blackmail and encouraging voters to write Wuthnow in on election day.

In the letter Wuthnow claims former sheriff Byron Motter and former undersheriffs Steve Bayless and Watkins came to him and asked him to resign. Wuthnow claims the three men told him if he did not they would send a letter to media that would “ruin” him.

“Throughout these attacks on my character and integrity, I have stood strong and continued to serve,” Wuthnow wrote. “It would have been very easy to resign and move on but I have never felt like doing so would be in the best interest of the citizens of Harvey County.”

The allegations were investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and sent to the Kansas Attorney General, but the attorney general has decided to not bring charges, Wuthnow said.

Watkins and Bayless were unavailable for comment as of deadline. Motter said he preferred to stay out of the issue.

He said he thought Wuthnow’s version of events was different than his version.

“I don’t know what he is trying to prove,” Motter said. “I don’t want to talk about it at all. He can do what he thinks he needs to do.”

Motter said he thinks the county will be better off when the sheriff’s race is finally decided.

“We just need to move on and get a new sheriff. It’s been a bad episode.”

Sheriff candidates Bruce Jolliff and T. Walton were contacted about their views on Wuthnow’s write-in candidacy.

Jolliff said he had not comment.

Walton said, “As far as my campaign, we will keep doing what we are doing. We are going to remain positive and move forward.

“It’ll just make it all that more interesting.”

In the letter Wuthnow also defended work given to Arlis Electric, which is owned by his wife, without going through a bid process.

The full text of his letter is below:

“On Aug. 5, 2008 I was narrowly defeated in the Republican Primary race for Harvey County Sheriff. This came on the heels of very strategically focused media attention on my partial ownership of the electrical firm Arlis Electric and work that company did for Harvey County. I can assure you that there was nothing unethical or ‘under the table’ about the work that was contracted and further, the use of Arlis Electric saved Harvey County thousands of dollars. I believe that the media was used by members of my opponent’s campaign as a tool to get their candidate elected.

During the period of time following the primary election, I was also scrutinized in the media for terminating the employment of a sheriff’s office employee. This decision was not politically motivated and was made with the best interest of the sheriff’s office and the citizens of Harvey County in mind. The law prohibits me from publicly commenting on details surrounding the termination, which puts me at a disadvantage when it comes to responding to these allegations.

Within days of the firing of that employee, three former members of the sheriff’s office administration, Mike Watkins, Steve Bayless and Byron Motter, came into my office and demanded my resignation. Bayless and Motter told me that, if I didn’t resign by the following Monday, Motter would send a letter to the media which would “ruin” me. By statutory definition, this is blackmail. (See K.S.A. 21-3428 for the definition) When I did not succumb to their demands, I was the subject of a barrage of one-sided commentary in the media. I recently read that Bruce Jolliff named one of these men, Mike Watkins, as his pick for undersheriff.

Throughout these attacks on my character and integrity, I have stood strong and continued to serve. It would have been very easy to resign and move on but I have never felt like doing so would be in the best interest of the citizens of Harvey County.

The Republican primary election in August had one of the weakest voter turn-outs in history. Please go to the polls and vote on Nov. 4th and write in A.J. Wuthnow in the “other” blank under sheriff on the ballot. I have worked hard and will continue to do so as your sheriff. There is no other candidate in this race with more experience as sheriff than me, and I would appreciate your vote on Nov. 4. Thank you!”