The campaign to remove Commissioner Ranzau will fight on despite biased DA

Once again we see cronyism from our District Attorney Marc Bennett, who has shown us that he will defend any Republican in office, by blocking the recall effort towards Sedgwick Commissioner Richard Ranzau. He is part of the Republican machine here in Sedgwick County. However the recall effort will fight on. –SJ Otto

This is from the Recall Ranzau organization:

On December 14, 2015, the office of District Attorney Marc Bennett (R) unlawfully blocked our second Petition to Recall Commissioner Richard Ranzau (R) for failing to perform his duties prescribed by law, shielding Commissioner Ranzau from any accountability to the citizens he was elected to serve. This decision only protects Commissioner Ranzau temporarily from the 12,000 + voters in the 4^th District who have grounds to ask for his removal from office. Our Recall Petition was properly and lawfully grounded on Commissioner Ranzau’s publicly stated ideologies disavowing provisions of our State Constitution; his refusal to contract for the protection and promotion of the public health and welfare pursuant to his statutory obligations as a member of Sedgwick County’s public health board; and his refusal to provide for county inhabitants who by reason of age, infirmity or other misfortune, may have claims upon the aid of society.

The Recall Electors had hoped for a fair, unbiased and legally competent opinion from the office of the District Attorney. However, instead of an impartial and objective ruling, Mr. Bennett issued an opinion which reads more like it was written by Mr. Ranzau’s personal defense attorney. We believe the DA's office has played a highly questionable and improper role in these proceedings from the beginning. It is now clear from both opinions that Mr. Bennett believes his role is to act as judge, jury and defense counsel for Mr. Ranzau.

In addition to engaging in improper fact finding that Commissioner Ranzau had not in fact disavowed the State Constitution with his public statements, the DA's office, with the stroke of a pen, unlawfully and in violation of the State’s Constitution, negated the individual responsibility of Commissioner Ranzau and each Commissioner to uphold the health and welfare of the county's children, the poor, and the sick, effectively granting each Commissioner immunity from the possibility of a recall for failing to perform duties prescribed by law. It is DA Marc Bennett’s, incredulous opinion that Richard Ranzau, as our County Commissioner, owes no individual duty to provide for "needy residents" within the county, or act as a board of health.

Of course, the #RecallRanzau Committee will not allow the DA’s partisan, prejudicial, and legally unsound opinions to go unchallenged. We intend to pursue this matter to the Kansas Supreme Court to see that voters in Sedgwick County's 4th District enjoy their fundamental right to a recall ballot against Commissioner Ranzau. It makes no sense to file a 3rd petition because as the gatekeeper, DA Bennett is likely to block future petitions to remove Ranzau, and will apparently go to even more absurd lengths to find reasons why a recall against a sitting commissioner is legally insufficient. Taking this case to the Supreme Court instead will ensure that voters in every county who prefer not to remain silent, complacent and afraid have the unfettered right to recall elected county commissioners in the future for failing to perform their duties.  

This Committee reaffirms its commitment to Sedgwick County’s working poor, needy and it’s most vulnerable inhabitants. Sedgwick County deserves better than Commissioner Richard Ranzau. It is outrageous that District Attorney Marc Bennett would shield Commissioner Ranzau from the voters in the 4^th District who have legal grounds to ask for the opportunity to remove him from office. And it is a travesty that this Recall is being blocked, not because Ranzau has done nothing wrong, but because our DA believes he individually owes no duty to the citizens of Sedgwick County!

We Will Focus. We Will Finish. We Will Not Quit.

#RecallRanzau Lives On! 

Committee To Recall Ranzau, Inc.

Sandrine Lisk

Esau Freeman

Scott Poor

Neva Thiessen, Recall Elector

Mary Dean

Mary Ware

Shirley Benton Kelley, Recall Elector

Tom James, Recall Elector

Lyle “Chip” English

Wendell Turner

Lisa Vayda

Billie Knighton

Melody Miller

P.S. Please Like & Follow our Facebook page for updates on the imminent Supreme Court case and future committee events.

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RecallRanzau/

Pix from www.kake.com.