‘Disgusted’: Kris Kobach staffer fired after report showing participation in racist group chats

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas political leaders are condemning text messages exchanged by members of several Young Republican groups that came to light Tuesday in a bombshell report from Politico.

Republican Kansas lawmakers and political figures are releasing statements condemning the messages sent back and forth between members of some different Young Republican organizations across the nation brought to light on Oct. 14 by Politico. The report named William Hendrix, vice chair of the Kansas Young Republicans, as one of those who was allegedly sharing racist messages through the Telegram app.

Hendrix was also an employee working in the office of Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach. Kobach issued the following statement in response to the Politico report.

“The comments in the chat are inexcusable,” Kobach said. “As soon as the office learned of those message Will Hendrix’s employment was terminated.”

Another leader of the Kansas Young Republicans group, Alex Dwyer, is also named as participating in the exposed Telegram chats. Hendrix did not return a request for comment made by Politico and Dwyer declined to say anything about the messages to Politico. We are working to contact both Dwyer and Hendrix for comment on this situation.

Politico draws from seven months of Telegram chats exchanged between Young Republican leadership in the states of Kansas, New York, Arizona and Vermont. Other Republican leaders in Kansas issued statements in response to the messages unveiled in the report.

“Kansas Republican Party leadership is disgusted by the comments by young Kansas Republicans mentioned in the Politico story. Their comments do not reflect the beliefs of Republicans and certainly not of Kansas Republicans at large, who elected a black chair a few months ago. Republicans believe that all people are created in the image of God. In fact, our platform clearly states, ‘We welcome Kansans of every ethnicity into our party as we work together to preserve our heritage of political equality, religious freedom and strong moral values. We strive to eliminate racism and we condemn all racist acts and groups.’ As of today, the Kansas Young Republicans organization is inactive.”
Kansas GOP Chair Danedri Herbert

“The Kansas Black Republican Council unequivocally denounces the behavior and language revealed in Politico’s recent report. Such conduct is not merely offensive; it is a betrayal of the very principles upon which our party was founded: the defense of liberty, the abolition of slavery, and the belief in the inherent worth and dignity of every human being.

Let there be no confusion, these few individuals do not represent Kansas, nor do they reflect the values of Kansas Republicans. We call on all Republicans to uphold the standard of integrity, moral courage, and respect that has long defined our party’s proud history.”
Michael Austin, chief executive for the Kansas Black Republican Council

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