Sunday, April 02, 2006

Nodler still raking in the bucks


Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin, has no opposition in either the primary or general elections this year, but he does have more than $100,000 in his campaign account, according to the April quarterly report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Nodler was already atop the $100,000 mark at the January quarterly report, but he picked up an additional $6,000 in the last three months, while spending $5,472.61, leaving him with $101,302.97.
Among those contributing this round were:
Overton Group, Inc., Kansas City, $200; Kris Lancaster, Kansas City, $50; Tri-County Group XV, Inc., Cape Girardeau $600 (the maximum at that time); Tommy Eaves, Joplin, $60; Wal-Mart Stores, Bentonville, Ark., $600; Missouri Dental Hygienist PAC, Jefferson City, $500; Missouri Association of Nurse Anethetists, Jefferson City, $450; Realtors PAC-Missouri, Columbia, $650 (the new maximum); Missouri Physicians Mutual, St. Louis, $500; and 32nd Senatorial District Republican Committee, $2,400 (party committees are allowed to make larger contributions).
Though no lobbyists are listed on Nodler's disclosure form, $1,800 of the $3,600 he received from sources other than the 32nd District committee, can be tracked back to addresses associated with lobbyists.
Registered lobbyist Glen Overton has the same Kansas City address as the Overton Group. Overton represents Great Plains Energy, Health South, and Southern Union, Inc. Other lobbyists are listed as representing the Overton Group.
The Missouri Dental Hygienist PAC and Missouri Association of Nurse Anesthetists both list 205 E. Capitol, Suite 100, Jefferson City, as their addresses. That is the same address as one of the state's most powerful lobbyists, John Bardgett of Bardgett and Associates, who represents more than 40 special interests, though on Bardgett's disclosure forms nearly all of his expenditures are usually credited to Bardgett & Associates, rather than his other powerful clients. Bardgett's two clients had already donated money to Nodler's campaign, so the latest contributions brought their totals up to the new maximum $650.
The Realtors PAC address in Columbia is also listed in Ethics Commission records as the address for lobbyist Erin Hervey of the Missouri Association of Realtors, though that is her only client so that is also her regular employer.
How is Nodler spending his campaign money?
The quarterly report shows he paid $261.74 to the AAA Mailing Service, Jefferson City, for postage; $118 to the Rotary Club of Joplin for membership dues, $300 to the Newtonia Battlefields Protection Association for membership dues; $250 to Missouri Southern Athletics for membership dues; $250 to his wife, Joncee Nodler for reimbursement; $600 to the Rupp for Senate campaign, Wentzville; $120 to the Jasper County Republican Committee, Joplin; and $120 to the Newton County Republican Central Committee, Neosho, as well as $469.34 for subscriptions, dues and fees; $157.32 for office materials; $55.21 for postage and $181 for event tickets.

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