By the Kansas Department of Commerce
TOPEKA, Kan. — While his death is unfortunate, the Department of Commerce believes it is necessary to provide clarity regarding allegations made publicly by former Department of Commerce Employee Jonathan Clayton.
Clayton’s allegations of wrongdoing by the Department of Commerce related to the awarding of BASE grants, along with his allegation that he was forced to serve on a volunteer theatre board, are categorically false.
The Department of Commerce was not aware of Jonathan Clayton’s felony convictions in Pennsylvania when Clayton was hired in 2020. Under existing Kansas law, we are unable to perform national level criminal background checks for the position that Clayton held. Our process for vetting prospective employees included online searches, social media reviews and reference checks, which unfortunately failed to uncover his felony convictions. He would not have been hired by Commerce had we been aware of these convictions.
While there is no evidence of any impropriety at the Department of Commerce, as an extra precaution, an independent third-party contractor is doing a full review of all ARPA grants. Commerce has also requested and is assisting local, state and federal agencies investigating Clayton’s volunteer work with community-based organizations in Kiowa and Marion counties who may be victims of fraud.
