Phil LeVota charged in ‘bribery scheme’ involving DaRon McGee

Phil LeVota, the Interim Jackson County Executive who took over Frank White’s seat in 2025, has been indicted on five charges by a federal grand jury. The charges are for crimes related to a bribery scheme in the 2026 election for Jackson County Executive, according to court documents.

The alleged scheme involves 4th District Legislator DaRon McGee, who dropped out of the race for Executive in April. A federal indictment alleges LeVota offered an unnamed Jackson County Executive candidate a full-time county job in exchange for dropping out of the race. 

On April 6, LeVota also denied to federal agents that he offered a candidate a position in exchange for dropping out of the race, the indictment says. LeVota, who has four months left in office, denied the allegations in a news conference on Friday morning. 

McGee is not named in the 16-page indictment, but LeVota confirmed that McGee was the candidate in question on Friday.

“Today, I was informed that federal charges have been filed against me, and that Legislator DaRon McGee had secretly recorded a conversation we had in March,” LeVota said. “I’ve now been charged with offering a job in exchange for McGee withdrawing from the County Executive race. I categorically deny that allegation.”

LeVota originally did not intend to run for County Executive in 2026, but he began considering entering the race in March 2026, he said at the news conference. By the March 31 filing deadline, eight people had filed to run for County Executive, including Legislator McGee and interim Executive Levota. McGee dropped out of the race on April 21, and LeVota dropped out on April 24.

In a sealed indictment on July 16, a federal jury in Kansas City charged LeVota with honest services fraud, federal program bribery, Travel Act violations, and making a false statement to federal law enforcement agents. The indictment was unsealed Friday upon LeVota’s initial court appearance, in which he pleaded not guilty to all five charges.

The secret recording from March 27 is transcribed in detail and describes a meeting between LeVota and an unnamed candidate at a Kansas City restaurant. During that meeting, the indictment alleges, LeVota promised the candidate the position of Director of Parks & Recreation in exchange for dropping out of the race. 

LeVota met with several County Legislators — not just McGee — on March 27, he said during the news conference. He admitted the conversation with McGee about the upcoming election shifted to potential county jobs if McGee were to drop out of the race.

According to the indictment, McGee described his ideal salary and job at the county: $165,000 for the role of Director of Parks & Recreation. Then, LeVota promised to give McGee the job on the condition that he dropped out and LeVota was elected, it goes on. He also promised a county job to one of McGee’s colleagues, the indictment says. 

At the news conference on Friday, LeVota denied the charges and said he had nothing to gain from McGee dropping out of the race. 

“I did clearly specify I would find a job for him, and his legislative assistant that he asked me about, in any future administration if I decided to run,” LeVota told journalists on Friday. “But what was missing from the indictment was that I told him we needed to carry on this conversation with others around … I wanted the process to be transparent about any future plans with him.”

LeVota also noted elected officials can hire whomever they want, but he went on to say he was sorry for another stain on the county government. He referenced allegations of bribery in the county made earlier this summer, which also involved McGee. LeVota declined to answer a reporter’s question about whether the two bribery schemes were connected. 

McGee did not respond to the Telegraph’s request for comment. LeVota will be represented by attorney J.R. Hobbs, he said. The case, under investigation by the FBI, is being prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsels Patrick D. Daly and Nicholas P. Heberle and Assistant United States Attorney J. Benton Hurst.