Adam Taff

Taff, whose political future seemed bright after narrowly losing congressional races in 2002 and 2004, had that future taken away when he was sentenced in 2006 to 15 months in federal prison for using campaign funds to get a home loan. Prosecutors said he withdrew $300,000 from his campaign account, represented it as a down payment for a $1.2 million home in Lake Quivira, then returned the money to his campaign. He served part of the sentence at the federal minimum-security prison camp at Yankton, S.D., then moved to a Leavenworth halfway house. On Feb. 28 2007, he went to work for Customer Discovery, an Internet marketing firm in Leawood. He was formally released from federal custody April 20 2007. Taff and his wife, Beth, are living with another family in Leawood while they rebuild their finances. Legal bills took Taff’s savings and, as things stand now, he’s lost the pension from his 18-year military career because of his conviction. Taff acknowledges that he’s embarrassed by the conviction. But he said he’s also determined to continue his life in the Kansas City area, remain active in public life and make prison reform a personal crusade.