GOP senator who railed against government waste sought $4.2M for project near his own ranch: report

A long-standing conflict over water rights in rural Kansas, which has pitted local agricultural interests against conservationists and endangered a vital wildlife sanctuary, prompted intervention from Sen. Roger Marshall.According to public records, Marshall, an outdoors enthusiast, requested $4.2 million in federal earmark funding for infrastructure upgrades intended to boost water flow into the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. However, he did not disclose that his personal property, Rattlesnake Ranch, sits directly adjacent to the preserve and stood to benefit from the project.Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., speaks at the Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing at the Capitol (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)The sanctuary has long drawn hunters every autumn, attracted by hundreds of thousands of migratory waterfowl. Yet as farming in the region expanded, increased crop irrigation strained the local water supply, reducing the volume reaching the preserve.While Marshall sought the 2024 funding to balance farmers' and conservationists' needs, ethics experts noted the initiative created a conflict of interest that could boost his land's financial value. The request also contradicted the Republican senator's staunch stance against earmarks, having voted four times to eliminate them while calling such appropriations wasteful taxpayer spending and "not American."Although the specific bill containing Marshall's earmark request failed to pass, the refuge's funding was ultimately approved last year through broader spending legislation he supported.Millions in taxpayer money could flow past senator's own ranch Public records indicate that a federal plan will pump water from a separate watershed through a pipeline into Rattlesnake Creek, alongside Marshall’s property, before it flows directly into the refuge.Marshall posted this photo to his Facebook page this past September (AP)The allocation came as Marshall prepared for a reelection contest this November that once seemed certain. President Donald Trump won Kansas by 16%, and voters there have not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.However, the race has narrowed significantly, prompting Republican groups to invest millions in advertising to counter Democrat Adam Hamilton, a former Republican who serves as head of the nation’s largest United Methodist church.Marshall’s office refused to allow the senator to speak with The Associated Press for an interview and failed to respond to specific questions regarding his property."All the water for this project would go into Quivira Wildlife Refuge," spokeswoman Payton Fuller said in a brief statement. "Rattlesnake Ranch would not benefit from it."She added that the project would "literally save farms" and "supply water to the refuge in drought years." From railing against 'pork' to requesting millions in taxpayer moneyA senator’s decision to request federal funding has drawn criticism as a potential conflict of interest from both a government watchdog organization and a water rights expert.Burke Griggs, a former state water rights attorney, noted that waterfowl hunting is "big business" in Kansas and federal money will help "establish a steadier water supply than (the Quivira Refuge) has had since the 1970s.""That will increase the value of the land," observed Griggs, a law professor at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, who has donated money to Democrats. "Think about it: If Quivira doesn’t have water, we don’t have as many ducks and waterfowl staying in that area for hunting season. That would absolutely diminish the value of the property."Marshall speaks as President Trump prepares to sign the "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act" in the Oval Office (Getty)Craig Holman, a registered lobbyist with Public Citizen, a nonprofit advocacy group seeking greater government accountability, stated that Marshall "should not be involved in any legislative effort that provides a direct or substantial financial benefit to himself. He should have recused himself."Holman noted Senate rules forbid members from seeking earmarks where the "principal purpose" is furthering personal financial interests. In this case, Holman said, he did not believe the earmark violated the rule because the project would also benefit the refuge and farmers.Marshall’s efforts to secure funding represent a departure from a long-held stance.He had railed against such appropriations, arguing colleagues should have to defend their earmark requests on the Senate floor and describing a Democrat-sponsored spending bill as "full of so much pork" and "dripping with grease.""I’m going to do everything I can to blow up the process so that no one does earmarks," he told reporters in 2021.Though he sought an earmark in 2024, he voted this past January to strip such funding from a spending bill. From hunting grounds to commercial property, Marshall's ties run deep The region surrounding the preserve has deep connections to Marshall and his family. At one point, he held full or partial ownership of more than 1,000 acres (405 hectares) near the Quivira Refuge, which he previously described as a hunting "mecca."According to financial disclosures filed with the Senate, these real estate holdings produced a consistent stream of revenue over the years through building rentals alongside oil and gas leases.Marshall, who entered the Senate in 2020 after serving two terms in the House, regularly posts online images of game he has killed (Getty)After his election to the Senate, public records show that Marshall significantly trimmed his land holdings near the refuge.Rattlesnake Ranch remains among his current holdings, registered as a business entity in Kansas and designated as a commercial property featuring a rental building. Official records show that Marshall holds a 20% stake in the ranch and serves as a company director.Fuller, a spokeswoman for Marshall, said Rattlesnake Ranch is not used for hunting waterfowl. However, she did not respond to questions regarding the underlying nature of the business or the commercial application of the land, which records indicate Marshall co-owns alongside campaign donors and hunting companions.Marshall, who entered the Senate in 2020 after serving two terms in the House, regularly posts online images of game he has killed. Regional news reports have highlighted both the senator’s conservation efforts in the territory and his hunting of sandhill cranes near the preserve. "I hunt as often as I can," he told Lone Star Outdoor News, per an article published on his Senate website in 2022. A shrinking water supply fuels a political and environmental showdown A growing dispute over water rights between agricultural producers and conservationists has put the sanctuary at risk in recent years.Expanding farm operations, along with severe drought, have depleted essential water supplies needed by waterfowl.Under Kansas state law, water rights fall under state jurisdiction. Farmers were angered in 2023 when President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration, through the Fish and Wildlife Service, asked Kansas to guarantee adequate water for the refuge. That action would have compelled farmers and other users to cut back their consumption.Marshall and fellow Kansas elected officials celebrated when the Biden administration retreated from the plan. Lawmakers, including Marshall, promised to craft a remedy that would aid the preserve without penalizing agricultural interests, ultimately leading to his earmark."As a property owner along Rattlesnake Creek for three decades," he said in a statement issued at the time, "protecting our local agricultural communities and the environment is something I take very seriously."