KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A three-year long investigation by former Johnson County Sheriff Calvin Hayden cost taxpayers $88,000 and found no evidence of election fraud during the 2020 election.
Newly-elected Johnson County Sheriff Byron Roberson provided an update on the investigation conducted by Hayden.
Roberson confirmed there were no cases of fraud in the 2020 election or in any election since, according to a press release.
Roberson reviewed the investigation after being elected sheriff in November 2024 and said he was surprised what the investigation revealed.
"I was quite surprised for the lack of substance in the reports, in the information," Roberson said. "There just wasn't a lot to go on that would have taken a three-year investigation."
Roberson said he found the investigation cost $88,000 and department employees spent 880 hours of work on the investigation.
No proof of election fraud was found and no charges were filed.
Roberson's investigation also showed three people were responsible for more than 100 complaints of fraud.
The allegations ranged from voting machines switching votes to reports of poll workers allowing people to vote twice.
"That's very odd," Roberson said. "Usually, there's a couple complaints that come in, maybe two or three from one individual. But in this case, multiple complaints, probably to try to run up the numbers of complaints coming in about this issue."
Roberson said he doesn't know detailed information about the three people who made the complaints, but assumes they are people who aligned politically with Hayden.
Roberson said Hayden did what no elected official should do: Insert his personal beliefs and political aspirations into his job.
"I think he was taking his personal feelings and putting them above what the people wanted instead of following what we normally do, which is follow the crime, follow the information, determine whether or not there's something that needs to be investigated, and not waste the taxpayer's money on something that's not a crime," Roberson said.
It was a source of contention between Hayden's office, county officials and many county residents.
"There was not a lot of transparency with the last sheriff," Roberson said.
Board of County Commissioners Chair Mike Kelly said on Feb. 13 he's glad there is no doubt now that there was no election fraud in the county.
"Frankly, baseless claims like that are dangerous," Kelly said. "Not only do they create mistrust in the election process, but it sows seeds of division throughout our community in all the public services we provide."
Roberson said the time and money could have been used on more important needs in the sheriff's office.
In 2022, under Hayden, the sheriff's office allocated $50,000 from its budget for software to aid in the election fraud probe.
Roberson says that software may be used for other investigations in the future.
Hayden's office submitted one case of obstructing of voting privilege to Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe's office.
Howe declined to press charges and said the case involved an election volunteer who wanted to vote in person on election day.
However, the volunteer was told policy states volunteers must agree to vote before election day.
There was no evidence of a crime and that's why no charges were filed.
As to whether he would have conducted the same investigation given the information Hayden had, Roberson said better management would have seen early on it was a waste of time.
"Those things have to initially be investigated because that's part of their job," Roberson said. "But that should be the extent of it. They should determine whether or not a crime has occurred. If a crime hasn't occurred, then it's just information."
About a dozen sheriff's office employees were involved in examining Hayden's investigation. but two to three detectives spent the most time working on the investigation.
The case was officially closed on Jan. 30, 2025.
The 41 I-Team emailed and called Hayden, but have not heard back.
—
