Star reporter infiltrates indicted BPU official's chili cookout

Wed., Dec. 17 2008 @ 11:00AM

A few weeks ago, I heard rumors about a fund-raiser to help pay legal bills for indicted Board of Public Utilities official Marc Conklin, because Todd Graves isn't working cheap. I didn't get nearly as far as The Kansas City Star's Mark Wiebe, who infiltrated Conklin's chili feed. Wiebe also got BPU board member Mark Jones to admit he attended the cookout. Going to a pro-Conklin party might have been a risky idea, considering he's accused of stealing $400,000 from a utility company that Jones was elected to oversee. And because Jones could end up a witness in Conklin's criminal case.

Every other board member denied going. That is, except for Terry Eidson, who wouldn't answer questions. Dumb. A tip for Eidson: Saying nothing makes you look like you're hiding something.

On to a different BPU controversy: The Kansas City Kansan reports that BPU execs have requested a meeting with EPA officials to hash out accusations that the utility company broke clean air laws. It's tough keeping the lights on. -- Justin Kendall