Name J. Claeys | ||
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J. R. Claeys is a member of the Kansas House of Representatives.
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Claeys was raised in Salina, Kansas. He graduated from Kansas State University where he studied media and George Washington University where he studied public administration.
Career
J.R. Claeys is the State Representative for West Salina and Northwest Saline County, serving the family, friends and neighbors he grew up with. J.R. was born and raised in Salina and is proud to serve the 69th District in the Kansas House of Representatives.
His work experience includes:
- CEO and owner of the National Association of Government Contractors
- Spokesman for the Coalition Supporting Equity for Our Nation's Self-Employed
- Spokesman for the Small Business Coalition for Equitable Health Insurance
- Director of communications for the Small Business Exporters Association and the Small Business Technology Coalition
- Chairman of Kansas Young Republicans
- Advisory Board Member for Partnership for Technology Innovation
- Office of Advocacy Judge for U.S. Small Business Association
Controversy
Claeys was involved in fraudulent activity through the selling of the "Certified Tested Green" label for products. These certifications were sold for between $189.95 to $549.95. According to a Federal Trade Commission complaint, Claeys and his company Tested Green never tested any of the products certified and would certify anyway for simply paying. Part of the purported fraud includes using the claims that the Tested Green certification was endorsed by the National Green Business Association and National Association of Government Contractors. These associations were both owned and operated by Claeys and were in no way independent endorsements. The FTC approved this complaint unanimously at a vote of 5-0. This led to 20 year sanctions on Claeys and his company. Another aspect of fraud in this case was the misrepresentation of the number of clients Tested Green had certified. Tested Green claimed to be the "nation's leading certification program with over 45,000 certifications in the United States." In reality, the FTC found that only 129 companies had ever been certified.
The place of residence for Claeys has also come into question. While seeking his second term for the Kansas House of Representatives, it was reported that Claeys had filed to run for office under his sister's address. During the controversy, he claimed to live with his sister, her husband, and their three children for personal reasons. When confronted by a reporter to see that he actually had a living space within his sister's home, he declined to let the reporter enter, stating “I’m not going to be held to a different level of scrutiny than everybody else is,” and “It’s nobody’s business.” The listed address was controversial for many reasons, most of which revolved around a property owned by Claeys in Lawrence, Kansas. The property was a condominium valued at $433,400 for tax purposes. A resident who lives in the same complex in Lawrence was quoted as saying “J.R. has a two-car garage and a stall for his boat,” and “He votes on issues that come up in the Bella Sera Homeowners Association.” Claeys defended having the property stating that was the residence he used while the Kansas House of Representatives was in session. He also defended the price valuation by saying that the apartment was one of several locations he bought out of foreclosure.
On September 6, 2017, Claeys tweeted that he would "rather give money to North Korea than to public radio".