NCJW opposes Tony Mattivi. Here’s why:
Tony Mattivi has a record that calls into question his ability to be fair and independent. In the Kansas Attorney General’s office and as head of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, he has taken extreme stands on issues such as reproductive rights and has weaponized his power to the detriment of the people of Kansas.
Tony Mattivi’s stance on important issues:
Reproductive Rights
Tony Mattivi’s staunch support of anti-abortion policies earned him recognition and commendation from Kansans For Life. He strongly supported an effort to overturn state supreme court precedent and enshrine language declaring that there is no constitutional right to abortion in Kansas. He advocated to ban abortion in Kansas despite prior, consistent rulings from the Kansas Supreme Court that asserted that the state constitution’s rights to liberty and the pursuit of happiness include “the ability to control one’s own body, to assert bodily integrity, and to exercise self-determination,” guaranteeing Kansans’ right to abortion.
Immigration
At the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI), Mr. Mattivi ensured that Kansas was the second state to offer ICE assistance, helping them identify undocumented residents on offender registries throughout Kansas and deputizing KBI agents to further help enforce extreme immigration laws. Under the agreement, KBI agents also receive ICE training that authorizes them to arrest immigrants, serve and execute warrants for immigration violations, and even issue immigration detainers.
Education and Career Highlights:
Tony Mattivi has a BS in Aviation Management from Metropolitan State College of Denver and earned a JD from Washburn University School of Law in 1994. Mr. Mattivi is currently the head of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. He began his legal career as an assistant district attorney at the Shawnee County District Attorney’s Office before joining the Kansas Attorney General’s Office, where he served as an assistant Kansas attorney general for two years. He spent most of his career as an assistant US attorney in the Department of Justice for 22 years, including a stint in Iraq, before assuming his current position.