KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Jackson County Interim Executive Phil LeVota is facing five federal bribery counts, accused of offering a six-figure, taxpayer-funded job to push a rival out of the 2026 race. LeVota has pleaded not guilty and said he intends to remain in office.
A pattern of legal trouble at the top
The charges mark the latest in a series of legal and political crises involving the county’s top executive. Former County Executive Frank White Jr. was recalled by 85% of voters last September — the first removal of a county executive in county history. Before White, Mike Sanders resigned in 2016 and later went to federal prison for misusing campaign funds.
The same attorney who represented Sanders, J.R. Hobbs, is now representing LeVota. Hobbs did not respond to a request for comment.
At a press conference Thursday, LeVota said he was sorry there is “another stain against county government,” but said he is “confident” he is not the person responsible for it.
‘Oh, another one’
Dr. Debra Leiter, an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City who studies government accountability, said her immediate reaction to the announcement reflected a broader public sentiment.
“I have to admit that my first thought was, oh, another one,” Leiter said. “That this is one story of many of controversies coming out of the Jackson County government.”…