Venable partner Ron Jacobs was quoted in a May 11, 2014 Lawrence Journal-World article about a possible FBI investigation of former officials in Kansas Governor Sam Brownback’s office. While it is FBI policy to neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation, reports have been swirling for two weeks that the FBI is investigating allegations of influence peddling and pay-to-play practices.
“I think you really often would need a smoking-gun piece of evidence – an email, maybe some witnesses who are willing to testify,” said Jacobs commenting on the difficulty of proving criminal activity. Without something in writing, Jacobs added, prosecutors will likely need testimony from multiple witnesses, “because any one interaction could become a he-said-she-said situation where there are different interpretations of whether something was really a threat, an offer, a suggestion, or a promise.”
“I think you really often would need a smoking-gun piece of evidence – an email, maybe some witnesses who are willing to testify,” said Jacobs commenting on the difficulty of proving criminal activity. Without something in writing, Jacobs added, prosecutors will likely need testimony from multiple witnesses, “because any one interaction could become a he-said-she-said situation where there are different interpretations of whether something was really a threat, an offer, a suggestion, or a promise.”