A new Super PAC connected to a Kansas City lawyer who played a prominent role in backing Greg Orman’s independent campaign for the U.S. senate in 2014 has emerged in this year’s race for the U.S. Senate.
The political action committee called the People over Politics Action Fund has booked about $313,000 in broadcast television, starting with a new ad this week ripping into Republican incumbent Roger Marshall for blocking the release of files related to convicted sex offender and disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The ad is now running in the Topeka and the Wichita/Hutchinson markets. The PAC has reserved ad time from Aug. 25 through Sept. 8. The Marshall campaign didn’t comment.
People over Politics is federal political action committee with a Leawood address. It’s treasurer is Gregory T. Wolf, a prominent Democratic donor who is general counsel for Maxus Properties in North Kansas City.
Wolf’s address on the campaign report is the same address as Maxus Properties in North Kansas City. He did not respond to a call at his office or an email seeking comment.
The PAC was initially formed on June 11 with a Silver Spring, Maryland address. It then filed an amended organizational statement with Wolf’s address in North Kansas City. Another amended report showed the PAC with the Leawood address.
Over the years, Wolf has donated to Democratic state Sen. Ethan Corson’s campaign for governor, former Democratic state Rep. Paul Davis’ campaign for governor in 2014, Laura Kelly’s campaign for governor, Democrat Chris Mann’s campaign for attorney general in 2022 and Democrat Steve Six’s campaign for attorney general in 2010.
Wolf was credited with heading up a Super PAC in 2014 called Kansans Support Problem Solvers that backed Orman’s unsuccessful campaign against Pat Roberts in the 2014 U.S. Senate race.
Wolf was the treasurer of the Super PAC, which the National Journal reported was formed just before Democrat Chad Taylor dropped out of the 2014 U.S. Senate race. The PAC raised more than $1 million to help Orman in his unsuccessful campaign for the Senate.
The 2014 pro-Orman PAC reported raising $500,000 from John Arnold, an energy trader and philanthropist from Texas and about another $150,000 from the Senate Majority PAC.
It was Orman who told The Kansas City Star that he encouraged Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton to run for the U.S. Senate against Marshall. Orman told The Star he met Hamilton during his 2014 campaign for the U.S. Senate.
“He has a real moral backbone,” Orman told The Star. “He will be able to resist the forces in Washington that try to push you into making decisions that aren’t in the best interest of Kansas.”
Meanwhile on Thursday, Marshall launched his second ad of the general election campaign, this one targeting attacks from a political action committee that is supporting Marshall.
Since the start of the general election, Hamilton has booked or spent about $1.26 million on broadcast and digital advertising, according to national ad tracking service, AdImpact.
Most of his digital and broadcast buys – about $467,000 – are in the Wichita and Hutchinson market.
Marshall has spent or booked about $3.8 million since Aug. 5 while two PACs supporting him – the Main Street Fund and the Main Street Defense Fund – have booked or spent about $2.4 million on broadcast and digital advertising during the general election.
Marshall has earmarked about $1.26 million for Wichita and Hutchinson and about $1.16 million for Kansas City, according to AdImpact. The senator has budgeted about $816,600 for Topeka.
