February 21, 2011
Former Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline says he's not surprised to be facing a professional ethics complaint over his past investigations of abortion providers.
A three-member state panel began a hearing Monday on the complaint against Kline. It accuses him and subordinates of misleading other officials to further his investigations, and of mishandling patients' medical records.
Kline said during a break in Monday's proceeding that he strongly disputes those allegations. He attributes much of what's in the complaint to criticism of him by an attorney for the late abortion provider Dr. Tiller of Wichita.
As attorney general, Kline investigated Tiller and a Planned Parenthood clinic in suburban Kansas City.
Kline says he and his subordinates had the right to deceive other state agencies in investigating abortion clinics.
The state's disciplinary administrator contends misleading another state agency and failing to quickly correct flawed information are ethics violations.
