WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says he will cooperate with the FBI if he is contacted about a reported investigation into allegations about the awarding of contracts to privatize the state’s Medicaid program.

Brownback told The Associated Press Tuesday that he believes the allegations are mostly a smear campaign.

The Republican governor says he has directed state employees to cooperate fully if they are contacted by the FBI.

Brownback says he hopes the FBI does contact people because Kansas went through an open bidding process in awarding the contracts.

Several news outlets including the AP have reported the existence of an FBI probe into the activities of Brownback confidante David Kensinger and his Topeka firm, Parallel Strategies, which he and two former Brownback staffers formed last year.

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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says reports of an FBI investigation into the activities of his former chief of staff are a smear campaign. He says there was no wrongdoing in the awarding of contracts to privatize the state’s Medicaid program.

Brownback told The Wichita Eagle Monday that he’s not seen evidence of criminal activity related to lobbying or the awarding of the contracts in 2012.

Several Kansas news outlets have reported that the FBI has been looking for several months into the activities of Brownback confidante David Kensinger and his Topeka firm, Parallel Strategies, which he and two former Brownback staffers formed last year.

Brownback told the Eagle that his administration tries to operate at a high standard.