Monday, February 20, 2006

More about Moark, committee shell games

In a post last night, I talked about the constant shuffling of campaign contributions between state and local party committees, as well as through candidates' coffers.
I reviewed some of the contributions made to the 32nd Senatorial District Republican Committee, including a $1,000 contribution made by N. B. Inc., better known as NutraBlend on Oct. 22, 2004.
The Senatorial District committee is not the only one to benefit from the Land O'Lakes subsidiary's largesse. (And do not forget, that another Land O'Lakes subsidiary is Moark.)
According to Missouri Ethics Commission documents, N. B. Inc., listed with Moark executive Jerry Wells' name, contributed $1,200 to the 127th District Legislative Committee. The donation is included in the October 2005 committee disclosure form. Combined with the other local contributions that have been chronicled in this blog, Moark and its sister companies and officials have contributed well over $5,000 to area Republican interests.
That figure may be considerably more. Under the listing of lobbyists on the Missouri Ethics Commission website, Kent Gaines is listed as a lobbyist for the Missouri Poultry Federation, though that organization is not listed among his clients on another area of the site.
Gaines' firm, Gaines Brown Consulting, contributed $1,400 to the 127th District Legislative Committee, according to the committee's most recent disclosure form.
Gaines has also been mentioned prominently on Ethics Commission lobbyist donation records for Sen. Gary Nodler. In 2005, more than 25 percent of the gifts received by Nodler from lobbyists were from Gaines. Commission documents show that Nodler received $80 in entertainment from Gaines on Dec. 24, and $100 in entertainment and $50 in meals, food and beverage from him on May 7. Disclosure forms filled out by Gaines do not indicate the gifts came from the Poultry Federation. His May gifts are credited to Gaines Brown Consulting, Kansas City Chiefs Football Club, and National Prearranged Services, Inc., though it is impossible to tell from the way the documents are filed which one is supposed to have provided the entertainment and meals to Nodler.
Not listed on Gaines' May form is another client, Premium Standard Farms. In December, all of Gaines' gifts were made for the Chiefs, according to Ethics Commission documents.
***
In addition to Gaines Brown Consulting, others donating to the 127th District Legislative Committee, according to January disclosure documents included:
-Republican State Committee $6,000
-Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce $500
-Associated Builders and Contractors $1,200
-Sitton Motor Lines, Joplin, $1,200
-William C. Harsch, Miami, Okla., $1,400
-Jim Russell, lobbyist for MFA and Missouri Ag Industries Council, $150
-MBA Capital Region PAC, $300
-American Insurance Association of Missouri PAC $100
-Rep. Shannon Cooper, Blairstown, $700
-Supporters of Health Research and Treatments, Jefferson City, $500
-Association of Insurance Agents, $400
-SSM Health Care, St. Louis, $300
-Casey's General Store, $300
-Morton Booth Company, Joplin, $700
-Dealers Interested in Government, Jefferson City, $1,200
-Empire District Electric Company, $1,000
-Leggett & Platt, $2,800
-Larry Snyder & Co., $1,400
-David and Debra Humphreys, TAMKO, $1,400
-Hunte Corporation, Goodman, $400
-Motor Carriers Public Affairs, $2,000
-Missouri Soft Drink Association PAC, $300
***
The committee contributed $6,000 to the re-election campaign of Sen. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon, $1,500 to the 128th District, $1,420 to the 129th District, $450 to the 126th District, and $1,500 to Shannon Cooper for State Representative, according to the Ethics Commission documents.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

take a vacation n a chill pill