Unified Government sues BPU board member, legislator over alleged false health care forms

KSHB 41 reporter Rachel Henderson covers neighborhoods in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties. Share your story idea with Rachel.—A Kansas City Board of Public Utilities board member has been sued by the utility for allegedly filing false health care forms dating back to 2021.The Unified Government’s Board of Commissioners, on behalf of the BPU, signed off on the lawsuit, filed Monday in Wyandotte County District Court, against David Haley.Haley was first elected to the BPU board in 2021 and won re-election in November 2025. He was also elected to the Kansas Senate in the November 2025 election.At issue is the health care benefits the BPU provides to board members and their dependents as contract employees.In October 2025, KSHB 41 Wyandotte County reporter Rachel Henderson published documents that revealed the utility’s concerns with Haley’s health insurance benefits.As a result of an ethics investigation, Haley was stripped of his leadership role as BPU board president. The board also voted to censure Haley at a meeting in September 2025.After joining the board in 2021, Haley was eligible to participate in the BPU’s health care plan. When filling out the forms, Haley listed a woman as his spouse.In 2025, the BPU announced plans to reclassify board members as W-2 employees, requiring a new set of forms to be filled out to continue receiving health benefits.According to the lawsuit, the new forms required the board members to provide documentation of the status of any beneficiaries.During a July 2025 meeting with BPU human resources to update the forms, Haley allegedly admitted that he was not legally married to the woman he listed as his spouse in 2021. Haley allegedly said he did not have a marriage certificate and “did not possess nor would he sign documentation to support a common law marriage” to the woman.Following the meeting, Haley asked if the BPU could delay the W-2 forms transition until after the election. The court document alleges Haley said, “…I really f_____ this up,” and said the woman and his children would lose their health insurance.After Haley disclosed he was not married to the woman, the BPU and Unified Government launched an investigation to determine the status of the relationship between Haley and the woman “for the purposes of health insurance benefits and the W-2 transition.”According to the lawsuit, investigators met with Haley in August 2025, during which Haley said he and the woman were in a long-term civil relationship, cohabitate, have a joint bank account and their family consider them married. Haley allegedly said that he and the woman never participated in any legal process to become legally recognized.Investigators learned that the woman Haley had listed as his spouse was also his landlord, to whom he paid rent.The lawsuit claims that Haley planned to submit documents supporting the joint bank account, mortgage agreements, utility bills and other forms showing the arrangement with the woman, but never provided any of the information.During questioning, Haley told investigators that the BPU knew about his relationship with the woman when he filled out the 2021 form. Investigators did not locate any record indicating the BPU knew about their relationship status.The lawsuit contends that Haley violated the BPU’s Ethics Policy for Abuse of Public Office. The lawsuit also contends that when Haley signed the 2021 health form, he additionally violated the policy. The lawsuit says that such a violation allows the BPU “to take legal action to recover benefits paid under the plan and its attorneys’ fees and costs.”KSHB 41 Wyandotte County reporter Rachel Henderson spoke with Haley on the phone Wednesday about the lawsuit, which Haley described as a surprise."I know nothing about it at all," Haley said. "I have not seen it."He says he met with a BPU attorney and general management on Friday on this issue and has another meeting scheduled for this upcoming Friday."It's an unknown. It's out of the blue, especially considering there was a discussion a couple business days ago," Haley said. "I thought we were all on one accord."On Wednesday, the BPU released a statement regarding the lawsuit.“The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities is aware of the civil lawsuit filed by the Unified Government on behalf of BPU concerning alleged health insurance eligibility,” the BPU said in the statement. “As a public utility serving Wyandotte County, Kansas, BPU has a responsibility to safeguard public resources and follow established policies and procedures.”—

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Unified Government sues BPU board member, legislator over alleged false health care forms

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