WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Sedgwick County Election Commissioner Tabitha Lehman will no longer hold her position after her current term concludes this summer, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab confirmed Wednesday (Jan. 20).
A letter from Lehman earlier Wednesday explained her perspective on events surrounding the Kansas Secretary of State’s decision not to reappoint her after her current term concludes in July. In her fight against an aggressive Lymphoma, including chemotherapy, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Lehman said she received medical advice not to go back into the office.
A policy directive from March 2020, brought on a dilemma with her health concerns, Lehman explained. She said the directive restricted remote access, including county-provided VPN (virtual private network) connectivity.
“Over time, I submitted multiple appeals to the secretary of state’s office requestion exception to the policy due to the risk to my health and looming presidential election,” Lehman wrote. “In each case, my appeal was either rejected or went without reply.”
Lehman said she sought counsel from various IT experts on the security of VPN connectivity “and was assured that its utilization was as secure as physically being at (her) desk.”
“Because of my oath to uphold the laws and constitution of both Unites States and the State of Kansas, I knowingly chose to violate the policy of the Secretary of State in order to direct a fair and accurate Presidential election,” Lehman wrote. “That violation of policy is the rationale for not reappointing me.”
Lehman said she stands by her decision “to rely on the security of the Sedgwick County network to fulfill (her) duty.” Lehman said Schwab met with her on Jan. 5 to let her know that he didn’t intend to reappoint her to another term after the current one ends on July 19.
In a response to Lehman Wednesday evening, the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office confirmed that Lehman won’t continue as Sedgwick County’s election commissioner when her current term expires. Seeking to set the record straight, Schwab’s office emphasized the importance of following statewide security protocols when it comes to elections and voter information, indicating that accessing the Kansas voter registration database from home was too much of a risk.
“This was not a hasty decision,” Secretary Schwab said. “W understand the difficult circumstances election officials encountered throughout the fall. Ultimately, we could not jeopardize the safety of Kansas elections systems to the benefit of one.”
The response from Schwab’s office further said “the security of the statewide voter registration system is a top priority of the Secretary of State and is, in no way, under the purview of Sedgwick County IT Officials.”
“There is never a reason to compromise that system. Unfortunately, Mrs. Lehman thought there was,” the secretary of state’s office said.
While issuing a response that sought to “correct the record,” Schwab concluded that response by thanking Lehman for her service. Lehman has served as Sedgwick Couty’s election commissioner for nearly a decade.
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