Voice For Liberty

Hartman, candidate for Congress from Kansas, recently voted in Florida

Bob Weeks

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Wink Hartman, a Wichita businessman and candidate for the Republican Party nomination for United States Congress from the fourth district of Kansas, has recently voted in Florida, records indicate.

Last November, acting on a tip, I telephoned the Palm Beach County Florida election office and found that both Hartman and his wife had voted in Florida’s general election and presidential preference primary election in 2008. Also, both voted in Florida’s 2006 general election.

At the time of my call, both were still listed as active voters in Florida. Sedgwick County voting records show that Mr. and Mrs. Hartman registered to vote in Sedgwick County in July, 2009.

While a person with houses in two or more cities or states might choose to call any of them his home, he can vote in only one place. That Hartman chose to vote in Florida may give Kansas voters reason to wonder which state — Kansas or Florida — he feels is his “political home.”

In 2006 and 2008 the Hartmans could have voted in Sedgwick County either in person or through the advance voting process. The election office will send ballots to out-of-state addresses.

After requests by email and telephone, Hartman and the campaign declined to comment on this matter. (See update following.)

Other candidates for this nomination and their campaign websites are Wichita businessman Jim Anderson, Wichita businessman Mike Pompeo, and Kansas Senator Jean Schodorf. Election filing records maintained by the Kansas Secretary of State indicate that Paij Rutschman of Latham has filed for the Republican Party nomination, but little is known about this candidate at this time, and no website is available.

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Update: Late in the afternoon the Hartman campaign issued a press release that accused the Pompeo campaign of engaging in “negative, personal attacks.” Hartman’s statement said “I always have and always will consider Kansas my home” and that Pompeo was “raised in California, educated on the East Coast, spent many of his professional years working at a Washington, D.C. Law-firm.”

According to Pompeo’s biography, he attended college at West Point and then Harvard Law School after serving in the U.S. Army. He worked at the Washington law firm of Williams & Connolly for three years before moving to Wichita.

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Comments

28 responses to “Hartman, candidate for Congress from Kansas, recently voted in Florida”

  1. Anonymous

    Good catch!

  2. Anonymous

    RE: Hartman’s statement said “I always have and always will consider Kansas my home”
    Hartman should vote in Kansas if he really feels that it is his home. Obviously it’s only his home for making his fortune and not for the concerns of who is running HIS state or who the Senators and Congressmen are that work for Kansas in Washington. Hartman’s voting record shows that he is more concerned with who is running Florida. Maybe he should run for office there.

  3. Anonymous

    FL has no personal state income tax, folks. Wink established FL as his primary residence to avoid the KS state income tax, and, therefore, voted in FL. DUH!

  4. Kimpot54

    Wouldn’t it have been more scandalous if he hadn’t been voting at all?

  5. sue c.

    So, Hartman didn’t register to vote in Kansas until 2009? I find that so offensive.

    Whether he was a Florida resident to avoid paying Kansas taxes or to have a say in Florida elections, both are equally egregious in my opinion.

    His campaign ads claims he cares so much about the Kansas people, but his being a Florida resident until 2009 belies that statement.

    Appalling!

  6. Lauren

    Can Wink be trusted?

    On KNSS radio, Wink claimed that he never moved to Florida. Yet the facts clearly show otherwise – a Florida driver’s license and voter registration.

    This makes me wonder what else Wink is lying about, and what else he’ll say just to win votes… When he claims to be a pro-life conservative, is he lying to win votes? Is Wink telling the truth when he claims to want to reduce the scope of government?

    Wink Hartman demonstrated to Kansans that he’ll twist the truth and pander to win votes, so we should be very skeptical of anything that this professional politician promises.

  7. Laurie

    I’m more concerned about what Wink is NOT saying than what he is. His ads have so substance. The ads are filled with people saying that they believe Wink is the right man for the job. They are basically just personal endorsements from people that I doubt many of us would even know. The question is: WHY is Wink the right man for the job?

    What things, specifically, is he going after to change.

    How will one man from Kansas (or Florida!) go about cleaning up the entire system?

    What’s his plan? What is his first priority? Second? Etc. And how does he intend to accomplish them?

  8. Cybex

    Who cares whether it is Fl or Wichita folks….we are talking about the here and now. Being petty is one of the pastime of some people in our city. If you don’t like the guy vote for one of the others…if you like wink vote for him, but can you stop splitting hairs.

  9. Anonymous

    When I hear a candidate say that we should spread “democracy” around the world with the barrel of a gun, then I kind of worry.

    he is a great businessman, but politician….. I do not think so. Hey Wink….. stick to selling 50 cent draws of beer for 6 dollars at your empty arena.

    I do admore the man for living in a state with no income tax. Florida makes it up in other ways though.

  10. Anonymous

    Wink is not meant to be our next congressman and neither is Pompeo. He recently had a lobbyist fundraiser in the Distric of Criminals. Do you people really want another paid off congressman?

  11. sue c.

    I really have to disagree with the whole last comment, by anonymous, attacking Mike Pompeo. He is basing his slanderous rant on an article by Dion Lefler in the Wichita Eagle that has since been shown to be an outright “hit-piece” with many false moving parts.

    Bob Weeks did a great true investigation into the facts here: http://wichitaliberty.org/politics/pompeo-story-needs-correction-analysis/

    But getting back to this topic: At first blush it may seem insignificant to catch Hartman in the lie about his Florida residency. Why does it matter one could ask? He was just avoiding taxes etc. Smart businessman, right?

    Maybe that is smart business, but it is very bad politics. And he is in politics now! When Wink decided that he would rather not participate in Kansas politics (voted in FL 2004, 2008), or contribute to the Kansas treasury on his personal income taxes (FL residency was primary) it told me Kansas was not the place for him.

    Now he wants us to give him our votes. We Kansans who have been paying our Kansas taxes, voting for our Kansas representatives. Trying to trust those we elect to have our interests first.

    I don’t feel convinced that Wink will have Kansans values and interests first, at all.

  12. Lauren

    Cybex suggests we are “splitting hairs” and “petty” to be concerned about Wink Hartman’s home state. The bigger issue is whether we can trust Wink. He went on public radio and lied to win votes, which makes me wonder what else he’s twisting the truth about.

    Does he mean it when he says pro-life? His campaign web site offers lots of feel good phrases about what Wink believes. Since Wink lied about something so factual like where he lives, we have every reason to doubt the sincerity and truth of his beliefs and campaign promises. It’s a matter of integrity and trustworthiness, which is not a petty issue. Kansas voters don’t want another politician that panders and deceives to win votes.

  13. HELEN

    Lauren, he already is. He doesn’t need the money! He will not be beholden to anyone!

  14. Anonymous

    At least he voted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  15. Anonymous

    Wanna bet Wink had his cars registered in Florida too, at least until he decided to try and buy a Kansas seat in Congress?

  16. Wichita resident

    Wink and Libba have lived in Florida for many years. They reared Libba’s daughters in Florida.

    I assume that the move was to take advantage of no income taxes in Florida but it is my understanding that you must live in your Florida home at least 6 months out of the year.

    For Wink to state he is a Kansas life long resident when he has been maintaining a home in Florida to get around Kansas income tax is really pushing the limit.

  17. Maddie

    It’s all semantics. In Bob Weeks blog he states that the correction is McFarlane pleaded guilty and so was not “convicted” of lying to congress – he still did it. Pompeo says he is not a Washington Insider, when clearly he is, taking PAC money from lobbyists representing large corporations and foreign governments, and he worked for a prestigious
    Washington law firm with ties to all these lobbyists. Hartman made a personal decision to save some taxes that ended up probably not being the best one since he decided to run for office in Kansas.

    Anderson is the man of the people who has been truthful in representing his conservative beliefs, because he has lived them. Anderson is a good steward of the church,a Knight of Columbus, married one time to the same woman and settled in Kansas to raise his family when he had the opportunity to go anywhere. Anderson and his family will stay here in Kansas and represent the people of the fourth district. While you all argue the ethics of the others misrepresentations, I will Vote for Anderson on August 3rd.

  18. Chris Martinez

    The Kansans for Life Political Action Committee is a Pro-life/Pro-family organization. It endorses candidates for public office. Endorsements are based on candidate questionaires, voting record, ability to win, and other background information that we can use to evaluate the candidate.
    Generally a pro-life endorsed candidate believes in traditional family values , social and fiscal conservative.
    We have endorsed Mike Pompeo.

  19. Infomax

    No one has posted that Wink Hartmann wrote a letter to the editor that was published in the Wichita Eagle shortly after he became a candidate for Congress. In this letter Wink admited to a DUI as well as being divorced. It is a good idea to get these problems out well before any election. Just ask George W. Bush about the DUI part and see Karl Rove’s comments about this political flaw in his autobiography.

    Now we know that Wink has these three problems in his resume. The real question now is: what else needs to be revealed? Do other candidates, like say Raj Cumar Goyle or Jean Schodorf have problems? In Raj’s case, his income since he is a lawyer, but I don’t know that he has a Kansas practice. In Schodorf’s case, her ties to the Wichita school district and being a legislator appropriating tax funds for her employer. Does anyone else see a conflict there?

  20. Anonymous

    Chris:
    Your organization lost my support the day they made that endorsement along with many others of my faith that I know. I have already let Mary Kay know of my feelings. You could have endorsed all three or left it until the primary instead of sending out an e-mail defensively justifying your points. One wonders why you felt such a strong need to do so. I will continue to support the only true, passionate pro-life candidate in this race, here’s a hint – it is not Pompeo.

  21. Sean

    An article from a paper near my hometown: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/cerabino-candidate-running-in-kansas-but-home-is-751946.html
    If I were a Kansan, I’d be concerned.

  22. Overtaxed_in_KS

    Wanna bet Wink had his cars registered in Florida too, at least until he decided to try and buy a Kansas seat in Congress?
    =======================================
    I know for a fact he registered his vehicles in Florida. I’ve seen him driving his Hummer and his Rolls-Royce and both were tagged in Florida. Cheap registration in Florida. Costs an arm and a leg in Kansas.

  23. Hartman state tax issue still a little bit murky

    […] issue of Hartman voting in Florida is more important to me. He and his wife could have voted in Kansas very easily, and it […]

  24. True Conservative

    I’m sick of seeing Wink’s face everywhere I look, TV, posters, etc. It’s obvious he’s trying to buy this election. He strikes me as someone who will tell you what you want to hear then do what is good for Wink, not what is good for the people who elected him.
    I think Wink doesn’t have a problem “winking” at the truth if it will put a dollar in HIS pocket.

  25. Anonymous

    what about other tax saving if you are resident of Florida? c gains? I know the state income is a great deal in fla.Hartman seems to be hedging on this and needs to get clean or R Goyle will really get after him in the general.
    Of course, RG , has never held a full time job in Ks so it may be a wash

  26. Anonymous

    Has Goyle ever been a student in a public school?

  27. Anonymous

    It’s always amazing to me that people who work hard, become successful and live a good life draw the hatred of a certain segment of the population. Wink, a man who could have gone to any private school he wished instead attended Wichita public schools because his parents wanted him to live a balanced life. Wink, a man who could have denied his problem with alcohol but instead discussed it publicly, is crucified by small-minded people who dispense grace only to themselves. Wink, who has created hundreds of jobs for Kansans and pays for health insurance for the majority of those people is picked to death by political vultures as “privileged” and “out of touch.” And, finally, Wink Hartman, who openly admits that he is no politician and never wants to be a tell-me-how-much-you’ll-give-me-in-campaign-contributions shill is vilified because he refuses to make the rounds begging for endorsements. It would serve some of you right if Pompous Mike Pompeo becomes our next congressman. Then you’ll have someone new to shred in your narrow, little minds.

  28. todd

    the republican party needed the votes in florida more than in kansas.check your history.unfortunately we got stuck with obama.how are we doing now? any one else get layed off this year?dont worry,if you work in aircraft your turn will come.and rememder ww boisture financially supports pompeo.he is big wig at raytheon.if pompeo is elected , we will get more of the same..watch for thayer to file bankruptcy or move jobs after elections

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