“14 Emails in 4 Months”: Ty Masterson Rakes in Over One Million for No-Show Job

"14 Emails in 4 Months": Ty Masterson Rakes in Over One Million for No-Show Job

Bombshell new reporting from the Kansas City Star reveals Masterson's few emails "demonstrated scant evidence of major work-related initiatives" - and now he's set to receive a raise

New investigative reporting from the Kansas City Star reveals exactly how much work Ty Masterson does for his no-show job as a Director at GoCreate - and the answer is not much.

According to records obtained by The Star, Masterson only sent 14 emails over four months, while his Assistant Director, "whose LinkedIn page lists her as director of GoCreate," sent 532 emails during the same period. The Star found that the few emails Masterson did send "demonstrated scant evidence of major work-related initiatives the director was applying himself to at the time."

When someone called the GoCreate office to speak with Masterson, an administrative assistant emailed Masterson revealing that she was deliberately vague about his position. And when Masterson was informed of an open records request the University was fielding about his position, Masterson asked that they hold off on sharing information until two days after his primary.

Masterson made more than $1.1 million from his position at GoCreate over the past decade, which is largely funded by highly influential megadonors who have also contributed to Masterson's campaigns. He's even "set to receive a raise in 2027, bringing the position's base salary to $241,781" - despite little evidence of him doing any real work.

"Ty Masterson needs to answer for his shady no-show job that has allowed him to rake in over one million dollars while he sends a few emails every month," said DGA Deputy Communications Director Johanna Warshaw. "Kansans deserve a leader who will show up for them and their interests, not the interests of megadonors who pad Masterson's pockets while he does little to no work."

Read more below:

Kansas City Star: Fourteen emails in 4 months: Records show Masterson's work at alleged 'no-show job'

• Newly released records give evidence of at least some of the work Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson has done as GoCreate director at Wichita State University - a role that has emerged as a political liability during his campaign for governor.
• The Star requested copies of every email Masterson sent from his university email address between April 11, the day the Legislature's session ended, and Aug. 10, shortly before he announced he would go on unpaid leave from the Koch family-funded community workshop for the remainder of the campaign.
• Masterson sent 14 emails over four months, according to the WSU general counsel's office.
• During the same time period, Assistant Director Kimberly McCollum, whose LinkedIn page lists her as director of GoCreate, sent 532 emails, the office said.
• Only four of Masterson's emails were readable. They demonstrated scant evidence of major work-related initiatives the director was applying himself to at the time.
• An administrative assistant at GoCreate emailed her boss on May 5 to tell him she had "just received a call from someone asking to speak with Ty Masterson."
• "I didn't confirm or deny whether you were affiliated with GoCreate, and based on how I responded, he assumed he may have reached the wrong number," Breanna Martin wrote Masterson, adding that staff members were "tracking which sites may have GoCreate listed as a political contact for you."

• On May 28, Masterson sent McCollum, his assistant director, a link to a Reedy Branch Equipment webpage listing a two-car hauling trailer for sale. "Check this bad boy out," Masterson wrote.
• On July 21, a WSU records custodian informed Masterson of an open records request the university had received for all of his work calendar entries from April 2026 to the present date, including meetings, events and appointments related to his official duties.
• Masterson replied 10 days later on July 31, asking the university to wait to turn over his calendar records until after he could meet with his lawyer on Aug. 6 - two days after the primary election.
• Over the last decade, Masterson has received more than $1.1 million from WSU, including $163,000 in 2025, state records show.
• The GoCreate director is set to receive a pay raise of more than $24,000 in 2027, bringing the position's base salary to $241,781.
• State Sen. Cindy Holscher of Overland Park, the Democratic nominee for governor, said Masterson's WSU employment arrangement represents "pay-to-play politics at its worst, with wealthy special interests handing the most powerful man in the Legislature a paycheck that only keeps growing, for a fake job with no responsibilities."
• However, an analysis conducted by the Kansas Legislative Research Department and reviewed by The Star says the GoCreate director, like every other employee, is paid from an operational budget that "includes funding from the Koch (Family) Foundation and revenue generated by GoCreate streams," such as rentals and membership fees.

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