Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Hunter piles up more lobbyists' gifts


Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, is up to his old tricks again.
Disclosure documents posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website indicate Hunter received a higher amount of gifts from lobbyists in March than the other five Joplin-area representatives combined.
The top name on Hunter's list is a familiar one. He received concert tickets worth $216 from Ameristar Casinos lobbyist Jorgen Schlemeier on March 31. Hunter's total of $700.48 for the month, also included an additional $87.99 from lobbyists for gambling interests, according to the documents, all involving meals from Isle of Capri lobbyists.
On one especially productive day, March 27, Hunter received meals from 13 lobbyists, representing such interests as Merck, Astra Zeneca, Lewis, Rice & Fingeroth, LLC, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Governmental Services Group, Harmony Health Plan, Empire District Electric Company, Isle of Capri Casinos, Steinmetz Consulting, and Missouri Automobile Dealers Association.
For the 2007 calendar year, Hunter has received $1,752 in lobbyist gifts.

His $700.48 tops the combined total of Ed Emery, R-Lamar, $194.16: Ron Richard, R. Joplin, $194.42; Marilyn Ruestman, R. Joplin, $98.93; Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, $89.01, and Kevin Wilson, R. Neosho, $85.39.

No comments: