KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Four Jackson County residents filed a lawsuit Wednesday demanding that a recall election of County Executive Frank White, Jr, be held within 60 days of June 27, 2025.
Attorney Phil LeVota filed the lawsuit on behalf of Stephanie Coen, Fawn Collins, Mark Anthony Jones and Jay Perry. The suit was filed against the Jackson County Legislature, White, Jackson County Legislature Clerk Mary Jo Spino, the Jackson County Election Board and the Kansas City, Missouri, Election Board.
LINK | Read the lawsuit
KSHB 41 News spoke with officials at the KCEB on Tuesday. Shawn Kieffer, who serves as the Republican Director of the board, said the office normally needs at least 70 days to get ready for an election.
Earlier this week, Jackson County legislators set the recall vote for Aug. 26, less than 60 days away.
White has yet to take action to approve or veto the legislature’s vote.
The lawsuit was filed just before noon Wednesday in Jackson County Circuit Court.
Within hours, Jackson County Legislature Chairman DaRon McGee and White both released statements.
“To delay or obstruct that vote isn’t just unnecessary, it’s a disservice to the very people we’re supposed to represent,” McGee said in his statement.
In his statement Wednesday, White continued to argue the recall effort represented political payback for his handling of the April 2024 stadium sales tax vote. White also took aim at LeVota, the attorney who filed Wednesday’s suit.
“Let’s be honest: this recall isn’t about what’s best for Jackson County - it’s about politics, personal power grabs, wasted taxpayer dollars and, most of all, stadium subsidies,” White said. “That’s why we’ll fight this in court, where the facts matter and the law still means something, not in the media and not through backroom political deals.”
White’s statement on Wednesday did not provide an update on when or what action White will take on the recall vote passed by the legislature.
On Tuesday, KSHB 41 News reporter Tod Palmer spoke to Coen. Coen was one of several people who gathered more than 42,000 signatures over the last several weeks to recall White.
She said she was motivated in the effort by the 2023 Jackson County property assessment process.
“Frank is the end-all, be-all,” Coen told Palmer on Tuesday. “He is the one to assign the administration. He appoints people who are skilled or unskilled at their jobs. He is the one who is solely responsible at the end of the day.”
Watch Palmer’s report in the video player below.
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