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Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden is casting an ethics complaint filed against him and an unflattering poll shared by his Republican primary opponent as “election interference.”
Hayden made the claim in a Saturday plea to voters where he compared his own fierce political battle to that of former President Donald Trump.
Hayden — whose long-running and fruitless investigation into Johnson County elections earned criticism for undermining the integrity of the voting process — blasted challenger Doug Bedford and his political consultant for accusing the sheriff of violating state campaign finance law. Hayden also took aim at a “grossly biased” poll that suggested dwindling support for his candidacy.
“The public is sick of dirty politics, and that is exactly what is at play here,” Hayden said in his press release, condemning the ethics complaint as an effort to “damage my reputation and weaponize our election system.”
In a statement from his campaign, Bedford told The Star that the sheriff’s “allegations are not only baseless but also a clear attempt to divert attention from the real issues facing Johnson County.
“Our campaign has always maintained the highest ethical standards and transparency,” Bedford said.
The sheriff’s lone opponent in the Aug. 6 primary, Bedford previously served as undersheriff under Hayden. His credentials in law enforcement and as a former Navy SEAL have helped him gain the public endorsements of dozens of sheriff’s department employees and retirees, including former Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning, Hayden’s predecessor.
Dustin Morris, the political consultant for Bedford’s campaign who landed in Hayden’s crosshairs on Saturday, told The Star the sheriff is wrongly “calling this ‘election interference’ when this is normal, run-of-the-mill campaigning.”
“This isn’t dirty tactics,” Morris said, adding: “It’s very laughable that he’s trying to compare himself and his situation to the same as Donald Trump’s political persecution he’s going through.”
Hayden, a staunch Trump supporter, has been criticized for the time and resources his office spent on his election fraud investigation, which started after Johnson County broke its tradition of support for Republican presidents in 2020. Earlier this month, he announced he was pausing the investigation.
As the tough primary contest inches closer, Hayden is suggesting voters should reelect him in part because of his support for the former president.
Hayden earlier this week wrote in a social media post: “President Trump faces a monumental challenge and needs honorable, experienced men and women of integrity in law enforcement to support him and keep our country safe.”
He included a photo of himself with Trump, which he shared again with his remarks on Saturday.
“We have watched with disgust, in recent years, as the US Justice Department manipulated the US Justice system in an effort to destroy President Trump,” Hayden’s campaign said in his release. “Bedford and his team have resorted to similar tactics against Sheriff Hayden as they are unable to win the race fair and square.”
Bedford’s campaign countered on Saturday: “The voters deserve better than baseless accusations and political mudslinging.”
Ethics complaint, voter poll
Bedford’s consultant, Morris filed the ethics complaint against Hayden on June 24.
The complaint, provided to The Star, suggests Hayden’s campaign may have violated regulations meant to prevent coordination with outside political action committees. It also questions whether the campaign violated state law by accepting a contribution valued at more than $500 and calls for an investigation.
At the center of the complaint is a video advertisement promoted by the Midwest Center for Law and Order PAC, a political action committee supporting Hayden’s reelection.
In a 24-second ad, shared over social media, the sheriff looks directly into the camera and calls for Johnson Countians to support his reelection, touting the office’s handling of 911 calls and emergency response times. The video includes a tagline saying the commercial is presented without the authorization of Hayden or his official political campaign.
A hearing on the ethics complaint is expected to be held next month, after the primary election.
Hayden said Bedford’s campaign leaked the complaint to the press, which he claimed “constitutes election interference.”
In his statement, Bedford said the complaint was filed “to address genuine concerns about Sheriff Hayden’s conduct and was in no way intended to manipulate the election process.” He added it is “crucial for public officials to be held accountable.”
Earlier this month, Bedford’s campaign shared a poll of 680 likely Republican voters suggesting far greater confidence in the challenger’s candidacy than in the incumbent’s. Bedford’s campaign paid for the poll, which was conducted by Kansas City-based political and corporate research firm co/effiecient.
Hayden on Saturday called both the ethics complaint and poll “bogus.” He said the poll, using language such as “lied” and “undermined” in reference to Hayden’s behavior in office, is “defamatory.”
Bedford’s campaign said the poll’s purpose “was to gauge public opinion, not to defame anyone,” arguing the results should be viewed as “a call for accountability and improvement” in the sheriff’s office from voters.
One of the top campaign issues in the Republican primary is Hayden’s election investigation. Earlier this month, Hayden announced he had shelved his controversial, years-long probe , which resulted in no criminal charges while fueling false conspiracy theories and energizing election deniers.
Hayden’s investigation appeared centered on Konnech, an election software company that has called the investigation “baseless.” Johnson County had used Konnech’s software to help manage election workers, but stopped using it in 2022. The program had nothing to do with voting or voting information.
Hayden, who has spent roughly three decades in the sheriff’s office and previously served as a county commissioner, is seeking a third term as sheriff. He won a competitive Republican primary in 2016, to then run unopposed in the November election and again unopposed in 2020.
The winner of the Aug. 6 primary will go on to face Democrat Prairie Village Police Chief Byron Roberson in the November election.
Includes reporting by The Star’s Jonathan Shorman.
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