Former federal prosecutor Tony Mattivi, approved to lead Kansas Bureau of Investigation
Tony Mattivi was officially confirmed as the director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on Thursday, elevating the former prosecutor and attorney general candidate to lead the statewide law enforcement agency tasked with criminal investigations.
Mattivi was approved unanimously, with members of both parties praising his qualifications for the role, which he was picked to fill by Attorney General Kris Kobach in December.
"From Ma Barker to the BTK killer and the 'In Cold Blood' killers, the KBI has been at the heart of a lot of really significant investigations," Mattivi said. "And to be asked to head this organization is just a tremendous honor."
In his confirmation hearing earlier this week, Kobach praised Mattivi, saying, "I can think of no one I would put my reputation behind, my sense of duty behind than Tony Mattivi."
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The two men, as well as Sen. Kellie Warren, R-Leawood, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee that considered Mattivi's confirmation, were rivals in the race to win the Republican nomination for attorney general.
That fact drew only a passing reference in the committee meeting, when Sen. Beverly Gossage, R-Eudora, praised Kobach for spotting Mattivi during the race and identifying him as a potential fit for the KBI job.
While speaking before the committee, Mattivi said it would be his plan to travel the state and promote the work of the KBI, which includes not just handling criminal investigations but also work probing shootings involving police officers, laboratory work and maintaining a suite of databases used by law enforcement across the state.
"The people there know what they’re doing. They know how to do it and they do it well," Mattivi said. "I think I will have far less of a challenge managing what is happening in the bureau than being an ambassador for the bureau."
Priorities include an initiative to tackle a rise in deaths attributed to the synthetic opioid fentanyl, which has caused Kansas to see one of the most pronounced spike in drug overdose deaths of any state in the nation.
Mattivi said that would include pitching the Kansas Sentencing Commission on tougher sentencing guidelines for fentanyl distribution.
Securing more resources for the agency would also be a priority, he said, including pay raises to ensure the KBI is competitive in hiring investigators and other staff.
And, speaking with reporters, Mattivi said he would maintain the agency's stance opposing the legalization of medical marijuana and noted any medical cannabis bill would result in a significant number of new demands for the agency that it would need to cope with, such as testing edibles and other products.
Mattivi replaces Kirk Thompson, the longtime director of the KBI who officially retired earlier this year.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Tony Mattivi to lead Kris Kobach's Kansas Bureau of Investigation
