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Kan. Gov. Candidate's Strip Club Visit as a Young Lawyer: 3 Questions

By William Peacock, Esq. on September 24, 2014 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

So the big news out of my adjacent motherland (I'm a KCMO boy; Kansas is basically the same thing) is that the Democratic candidate for governor, Paul Davis, went to a strip club in 1998. A young lawyer at the time, Davis may have been receiving a lap dance (he was reportedly in the back room with a stripper in a G-string) when the club was raided by police looking for its owner, who was also his law firm's client, The Wichita Eagle reports.

Well, such allegedly "immoral" behavior just won't do. The Republican Governors Association questioned his fitness for office, saying that the incident shows Davis "lacks the proper judgment and character to lead Kansas in the governor's office."

We definitely agree that this incident raises some questions (as well as some lessons for young attorneys who find themselves in similar predicaments). Here are three:

1. What Song Was Playing?

Not that I'd know personally, but I'd imagine that if one were in a strip club today, you might hear "Pour it Up" by Rhianna, where she states "strip clubs and dollar bills, check out my money." Or perhaps a selection from 2 Chainz, who often expresses his appreciation for Rubenesque women.

But in 1998? What songs would be stripper-worthy back then? Immediately, the song from Beverly Hills Cop comes to mind, but alas, that song was released in 1982 -- it'd be a bit tired by 1998. How about Ginuwine's "Pony"? It was a couple of years old at that point, but it's impossible to overplay a true classic.

2. What to Do If Your Boss Takes You to a Strip Club?

According to Davis, he was only in Secrets (the strip club) because his boss took him there and the club's owner was a client. The story sounds eerily familiar -- a friend was just telling me about the time his 1L summer internship included a trip to a strip club in San Francisco with his boss.

Apparently, men go to strip clubs fairly often. My bosses were only into booze and bars -- the world can be so unfair.

In any case, what does one do in such a situation? An anonymous friend advises not to get a lap dance unless the boss does, which seems like perfectly reasonable advice. A co-worker says to bring plenty of $1 bills. (C'mon man, it's 2014 -- $2 bills account for inflation and have an extra hint of class.) He also advises you to watch your bladder. (Ouch!)

Personally, I'd advise you to politely decline -- there's just too much potential for awkwardness (and lawsuits) there.

3. Why Are We Talking About This Again?

Davis was 26 years old and unmarried when he was caught up in the strip club drug raid. He was not suspected or involved with any crime.

So 16 years ago, a young, single lawyer visited his client's strip club and may have gotten a lap dance. That's it. He was, in his own words, "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Why are we talking about this again? Oh wait, the incumbent Gov. Sam Brownback is currently losing in the polls.

Here's the lesson kiddos: If you're ever planning on running for office, don't look at pornography, don't go to strip clubs, and don't drink to excess, even if your boss and your client suggest it.

Have a tip for a poor soul forced to receive a lap dance at a strip club? Or know of any 1998 stripper songs? Tweet us @FindLawLP.

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