KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.
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Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks Shaw said Thursday she has not been contacted by federal investigators following a media report Wednesday that she is the target of an FBI investigation.
Parks-Shaw's husband, Michael Shaw, who serves as the city's Public Works Director, was also named in the media report.
Referencing the media report as “misleading headlines,” Parks-Shaw addressed the report in a video posted Thursday afternoon to her Instagram account.
"Misleading and slanderous headlines meant to boost clicks and engagement will not stop me from doing the work you elected me to do," Parks-Shaw said in the social post.
Parks-Shaw blamed "hidden political agendas" as the source of the allegations, which she believes stems from her advocacy to protect $30 million in funding for the Violence Prevention Fund and for work around homelessness.
Earlier Thursday, a Kansas City, Missouri, city spokesperson told KSHB 41 News that City Manager Mario Vasquez planned to launch an "internal review" regarding "any alleged inappropriate conduct among the administrative staff."
"The City is committed to accountability, ethical conduct and maintaining the public's trust," the spokesperson said, adding that due process was important in the review. "Conclusions should not be drawn before the facts are fully reviewed."
The Kansas City, Missouri, City Council was set to convene for its regularly scheduled meetings on Thursday afternoon. Before calling the meeting to order, Mayor Quinton Lucas met with reporters regarding the report.
"I don't know details on any active investigation," Lucas said. "I understand from the Mayor Pro Tem that she's reported she's not aware of any investigation as well."
Lucas told reporters that he's "a believer in all things due process."
As is their routine, a spokesperson for the FBI's Kansas City Field Office said they would not confirm nor deny an active investigation.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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