From: Kirk Schulz
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2014 1:29 PM
To: David Rintoul; Kerry Jennings; Reagan Kays
Cc: Kirk Schulz; John Currie
Subject: Coach Snyder Video
October 31, 2014
Dear Reagan, Kerry and Dave –
Happy Halloween! I have received several inquiries surrounding the appropriateness of Coach Snyder’s video endorsement for Senator Pat Roberts’ re-election campaign. Many of the questions and concerns have focused around the appropriateness of any University-affiliated employee publically endorsing a political candidate.
As soon as we became aware of the video, John Currie (by phone from out of town) and Sue Peterson (in person)visited with Coach Bill Snyder about this video, and he indicated that he was unaware it was going to be used in such a fashion and was apologetic for the resulting issues.
I asked Sue Peterson, as Director of GovernmentalRelations, to ask the Pat Roberts re-election campaign to withdraw the video and not use it any further. They declined to honor our request.
As you have seen in the October 31 K-State Today we have once again re-iterated our position that Kansas State University does not endorse any particular candidate for elected office.
As in every campaign season, the University administration began putting out public reminders to our employees about political activity rules months in advance of the election.
None of us were aware of the video in advance, and we responded as quickly as possible. The release received widespread media coverage on Thursday but the news cycle seems to have run its course. We are treating this incident as an internal matter and do not plan to extend the news cycle with a response to the media.
Please feel free to share this with your respective leadership teams.
Regards,
Kirk
Individuals in this email:
Kirk H. Schulz, President of K-State
David Rintoul, Faculty Senate President
Kerry Jennings, University Support Staff President
Reagan Kays, Student Body President
John Currie, Athletic Director
Bill Snyder's Contract specifically forbids this, as does Kansas state Law. Updates to this story below to reflect latest information
For greater details, the best way is to look at the University Contract:
http://cjonline.com/...
This contract, presented to Coach Snyder, directly prevents campaigning. More than that, state employees are forbidden under state law as well from moving to influence elections using public resources.
http://www.k-state.edu/...
Bill Snyder has seemingly told the university that this was not his intent - and he was not aware that his content would be used in this way. He and the University have reportedly asked the Roberts campaign to remove the video and radio ads.
The Roberts campaign has refused.
Apparently, they'd rather burn bridges at Kansas State University than do the right thing.
4:48 PM PT: Here is the ad.
I'm actually much more sympathetic to Coach Snyder now, who's just in a parking lot standing by his car. I'm wondering now if he really didn't have any idea this would be used for an ad.. the audio quality isn't great, so he wasn't mic'd etc.
5:12 PM PT: Ok, another update
Sources at KSU are telling me that Bill Snyder was stopped in a parking lot after a game by a young republican tracker who filmed him to ask him why he supported Pat Roberts. This was (reportedly) not professionally done, and Bill Snyder was not in any way aware that this would be used for an ad or anything else - at least that is what is being inferred.