Two new punches were thrown Tuesday in a fight over election conspiracy theories that has placed Kansas’ Republican secretary of state at odds with die-hard Republican anti-abortion activists and election deniers.
First, Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office confirmed that the state has charged nearly $120,000 to credit cards controlled in part by Wichita anti-abortion activist Mark Gietzen, who along with Colby resident and election denier Melissa Leavitt raised enough money to force a recount in nine counties — including populous Sedgwick and Johnson counties — of a failed amendment that would have allowed lawmakers to restrict or ban abortions in Kansas.
Then, Gietzen — who said Sunday that he would not pay for the Sedgwick County recount — fired back with a lawsuit against Schwab demanding a hand recount of every race in the Aug. 2 primary election, including a second recount of Sedgwick County’s abortion rights vote and a “revote” in counties that use electronic voting machines to mark ballots.
