The promising career of another Christofascist Republican hits a speed bump:
Michael Capps, a former Kansas lawmaker who once sponsored a bill to put the words “In God We Trust” in every federal building, has been found guilty of committing COVID relief fraud and money laundering.
His career wasn’t supposed to end this way. In 2018, the Republican was appointed to the Kansas State House and won his own election bid later that year. Like other members of his party, he used his time in office to push Christianity on everyone. That’s why, in addition to his anti-trans and anti-abortion bills, Capps sponsored a bill to put “In God We Trust” in public buildings, including public schools.
Capps even defended the bill by citing former president John Adams: “Statesmen may plan and speculate for Liberty, but it is Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which Freedom can securely stand.”
That bill eventually died in committee, but Capps’ point was clear: It was necessary to promote religion and morality because, in his mind, those two things were synonymous.
The Wichita Eagle picks up the illegal particulars of the story:
Michael Capps, a 44-year-old Wichita business owner, was found guilty Wednesday of 12 felony charges for lying on applications for federal COVID-19 relief aid while he was a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.
A federal jury announced the decision at 4 p.m. Wednesday after deliberating more than eight hours over multiple days. The FBI began investigating Capps after a 2020 Wichita Eagle investigation found Capps inflated payroll information, revenues and employee numbers to maximize federal awards to three entities under his control — Midwest Business Group, Krivacy and the nonprofit Fourth and Long Foundation.
Krivacy and Fourth and Long are both defunct. Midwest Business Group, which Capps co-owns with Uber driver and former Wichita City Council member James Clendenin, recently closed its downtown office. A federal grand jury indicted Capps in September 2021. His trial focused on 18 felony charges related to COVID-19 fraud. He was found guilty on multiple counts of making false and fraudulent statements, bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering.
Capps defrauded Emprise Bank, U.S. Small Business Administration and Kansas Department of Commerce out of $355,550 in COVID-19 recovery funds, the jury found. He then transferred the money through business and personal accounts, including some money that went into investment funds.
Capps remains out on bond while he awaits his sentencing hearing, which is scheduled for March 10. He could face millions of dollars in fines and decades in prison.
You may recall the case of another Christofascist Republican lawmaker recently caught up in Covid relief fraud. Then there were those January 6 seditionists who happily took Covid relief funds then stormed the Capitol where those relief funds were authorized.
You might say it's a pandemic.
(Photo: goodbye grift, hello prison/ screenshot from Only Sky)
