Sheriff Calvin Hayden : Sheriff Hayden Admits Election Search Warrant Invalid

Sheriff Calvin Hayden has recently acknowledged that the search warrant he claimed to have for old county election ballots was not signed by a judge, rendering it invalid. This admission came during a heated exchange with former Kansas Republican chairman Mike Kuckelman at a candidate forum held at the Olathe Community Center on Monday night. The incident was captured on video and shared on social media.

The forum, which was hosted by the Olathe Republican Party, was attended by 50 to 75 people who submitted questions for the candidates. Hayden’s outburst occurred after a question related to Giglio lists, which are used to identify law enforcement officers with credibility issues due to past untruthfulness.

‘I didn’t say it was valid’

In the video, Hayden can be seen waving some papers at Kuckelman and insisting that he could read them. When asked about the judge who approved the warrant, Hayden admitted that there was no judge’s signature on the document. Despite this, Hayden maintained that he did not claim the warrant was valid.

The exchange escalated, with Kuckelman questioning the validity of the warrant and Hayden responding defensively. The moderator eventually intervened to defuse the situation.

Kuckelman, who is an attorney, later expressed surprise at Hayden’s outburst, stating that he had merely submitted a question about Hayden’s inclusion on a Giglio list. He emphasized the importance of law enforcement officers maintaining composure in public interactions.

Hayden’s election probe and lack of results

This incident is the latest development in Hayden’s ongoing investigation into election integrity issues in Johnson County. Despite his claims of suspicious election results and procedures, the investigation has yet to result in any charges being filed.

Hayden’s investigation has faced criticism for its lack of tangible outcomes, with only one allegation related to voter intimidation being forwarded to prosecutors. District Attorney Steve Howe cited insufficient evidence as the reason for not pursuing the case in court.

Hayden first raised the issue of the search warrant at a previous forum for Republican sheriff candidates in April. He voiced concerns about the destruction of ballots from previous years and claimed to have had a search warrant in hand at the time.

His opponent, Doug Bedford, questioned the delay in seizing the ballots if Hayden believed it was necessary. Neither Bedford nor Hayden has responded to requests for comment on the recent forum incident.

Kuckelman calls for action against Hayden

Kuckelman recently sent a letter to Undersheriff Daryl Reece, urging him to address Hayden’s dishonesty regarding the search warrant. He called for Hayden to be reported to the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training and the Johnson County Professional Standards Unit.

Kuckelman emphasized the importance of holding law enforcement officers accountable for their actions and maintaining public trust in the agency. He highlighted the potential impact of Hayden’s behaviour on the department’s ability to recruit qualified deputies.

This story was originally reported by the Johnson County Post.