A furor erupted this week after the pro-life advocacy group Operation Rescue posted photographs of Gov. Kathleen Sebelius hobnobbing with Wichita-based late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller and members of his staff during an April 2007 event at the governor’s mansion in Topeka.

At the time, Tiller was under investigation by the attorney general’s office for alleged violations of laws related to late-term abortions. Nineteen misdemeanor counts were ultimately filed, all of which are still pending.

The governor’s office conceded the event occurred, and explained that the evening was a prize on which Tiller successfully bid during an auction hosted by the Greater Kansas City Women's Political Caucus Political Action Committee.

Operation Rescue, for one, isn’t buying it. Cheryl Sullenger, senior policy analyst for the Wichita-based group, said a review of public records and records obtained from the governor’s office through an open records request had revealed “not a shred of evidence” that the steak-and-lobster affair was a prize offered at a benefit auction.

A receipt obtained through the open records request indicates that the state paid $625 for food and drink for 25 guests. In addition, $136 was spent to staff the event. Sebelius’ office has indicated the Women’s Political Caucus reimbursed the costs of the reception. However, no information about a reimbursement was included in the response to the records query by the governor’s office.

Sullenger said it took about a month before the governor’s office responded to the records request, a delay she characterized as foot-dragging by Sebelius’ staff.

“The person who filed the open records request called almost daily and continued to get the run-around,” she said. “That suggests to me that they didn’t really want to give this information out.”

The photos and news stories about the event appeared in newspapers from coast to coast, an outcome that was anticipated by Operation Rescue.

“We knew this was going to get some attention,” she said.

Operation Rescue has declined to reveal the source who supplied them with the photographs, but Sullenger said the source was not “planted” at the event by Operation Rescue.

“This was a conscious-stricken individual who came to us and just wanted to tell the truth,” she said.

Sullenger said representatives of several national television programs had contacted Operation Rescue following release of the photos.

“'The O’Reilly Factor' tentatively plans to show the photos on Tuesday, June 3,” Sullenger said.

Besides the media field day, news of the event also sparked strong criticism by Republican Party officials, lawmakers and pro-life groups.

Kris Kobach, chairman of the Kansas GOP, said it appeared to him as if the event might have been payback for the massive campaign donations made to Sebelius and her then political ally, former Attorney General Paul Morrison, by Tiller, abortion supporters and the abortion industry.

“Governor Sebelius has grossly abused her stewardship of the people's house,” Kobach said. “Using Cedar Crest to host the infamous late term abortionist George Tiller is bad enough.  Using Cedar Crest to host Tiller at the very time that he was under investigation for providing criminal late term abortions is appalling...This event reflects the reality that Governor Sebelius is bought and paid for by the abortion industry."

Sen. Tim Huelskamp, a Fowler Republican, said when he first heard about the photos and the event, “two words – Lincoln Bedroom – popped into my mind.”

Huelskamp was referring to President Bill Clinton’s practice of inviting big Democratic donors for sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom at the White House.

“It’s like Cedar Crest is for sale to the highest bidder,” Huelskamp said.

Huelskamp and Rep. Lance Kinzer, an Olathe Republican, said they were considering filing legislation that would forbid the use of government property for political purposes.

Mary Kay Culp, executive director of Kansans for Life, said the Tiller event at Cedar Crest should concern Kansans, regardless of their attitude toward abortion.

“It doesn’t matter if the Tiller party was an extension of the auction dinner, or another event altogether, as the source of the pictures claims. What matters most is that late-term abortionist George Tiller and his entire staff got to party-hardy at our tax-funded governor’s mansion while he was under criminal investigation by the attorney general.”

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