Kobach Campaign Files Show Donations Exceeding Kansas Limits

Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach’s campaign accepted donations that exceed the per-person limits set by Kansas law, according to a financial filing submitted this week. The report details contributions from Michael Vess of Wichita, who owns an oil and gas company, totaling $16,000 in general campaign funds. State law caps individual donations at $4,000 for the primary and another $4,000 for the general election. Vess’s contribution exceeds that individual limit by $8,000.

The filing listed the donation date as November 25, 2026. That date had not yet arrived when the report was filed. A spokeswoman for Kobach’s campaign said the date was an error. She stated the money came from a married couple. If the couple donated separately, the $16,000 total fits within the legal limit for two individuals. If they donated jointly, the amount is also permissible under specific conditions.

Vess’s four businesses, where he serves as the registered agent, each donated the maximum allowable $4,000 to the campaign. This brings the total from Vess and his entities to $32,000. Vess is a frequent donor to Republican politicians. His office did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.

Other donors on the contribution list also exceeded the $4,000 per-person limit for the general election. Kobach’s campaign did not say whether it plans to return the excess funds to those donors. One over-donor appears to have been refunded, but the donation and the refund are listed under the same name with different addresses.

These filings come months after End Citizens United filed an ethics complaint against Kobach for similar violations. The political action group aims to limit money in politics. Tiffany Muller, the group’s president, said Kobach disregards the law. She added that there is no ambiguity about his conduct. In September, the group asked the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission to investigate. The commission said it could not confirm or deny the existence of a complaint.

Kobach previously faced questions about overdonations in a July report. His campaign submitted an updated report after that inquiry. The spokeswoman attributed some of the excess funds to married couples and submitted several returns. Kobach is running against Democrat Chris Mann, who lost to him by 1.5 percentage points in 2022. Mann has outpaced Kobach in fundraising this election season.

Mann’s campaign spokesperson Leah Rymer said Kobach continues to violate finance laws while an ethics complaint is active. She stated that Kansas voters deserve an attorney general who follows the law. Mann said he hopes to defeat Kobach this year with increased momentum and funding.