Saturday, September 06, 2008

Rita Hunter closes campaign committee, erases $10,000 of debt

Thanks to $14,500 in contributions following her loss in the Republican primary for Jasper County public administrator, Rita Hunter has erased a $10,000 campaign debt, according to documents filed Thursday with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The documents indicate $5,000 was repaid on Aug. 7, with the rest coming on Aug. 25.

In her 30-day-after report, Mrs. Hunter, the wife of term-limited Rep. Steve Hunter, R-Joplin, noted receiving $5,800 from the 127th Legislative Committee, with the rest of her money coming from a series of legislative district committees, with all of those committees having Brad Harmon as treasurer, and an address of P. O. Box 1742, St. Charles.

The Ethics Commission documents show Mrs. Hunter received $675 contributions from the 23rd Senatorial District, and the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th with all of those contributions coming on Aug. 11, one week after Mrs. Hunter, the incumbent, lost overwhelmingly to Angie Casavecchia Ashens.

A $600 contribution was listed from the "Good Government" Committee, also from St. Charles on Aug. 20.

It is nearly impossible to trace where the money that was sent to the Hunter committee originated. The St. Charles committees have filed their 30-day reports and have multiple contributors who could have been responsible. The 127th District Committee has not filed a 30-day report at this point.

In another filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission Thursday, Mrs. Hunter terminated her campaign committee.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does anyone question this action other than Randy Turner? They should! There are many reasons an investigation of her office is warranted. Why not? Is it who you know?

Anonymous said...

Despite the fact you may not like either Hunter, the ethics commission has ruled time and time again that the donations Turner listed are legal and ethical.

The latest being the fraudulent and farcical complaint against Turner's best friend, Rex Sinquefield. The NEA had 3 of their local presidents/members file against Sinqufield and the PACs he began. The ethics commission told them to go take a a hike it was legal and ethical.

So,if you have some specific charges against Mrs. Hunter that says she broke the law, then file the complaint. Otherwise, better to stay quiet and not let everybody know how foolish and vindictive you are.

Randy said...

I have never said that Sinquefield's committees or his contributions are illegal. I firmly believe the public has the right to know about them and the right to know what he stands for. And I have never bought into this pitiful notion that because something is legal makes it right. That is the argument used by those who want to conduct their business without any scrutiny whatsoever. Those are the people who need to be kept under the microscope.

Anonymous said...

First of all, the comment was directed at the first poster although I can understand how you took offense because despite your protestation, you attack Sinquefield at every turn. You continue your intellectually dishonest "voucher" theme and then attemtp to create the illusion that the PACs, whether Sinquefield's or those giving to Hunter, are somehow shady.

Each PAC has to file reports. Each PAC has filed reports according to requirements so nothing is being hidden. Seems as though your shallow argument is enough to drown in while you are looking through your microscope for more false charges.