Last month, The Turner Report Wall of Shame for the Missouri State Senate was announced and at the top of that list was Sen. David Klindt, R-Bethany. Klindt not only received more gifts from lobbyists than any other member of the Senate or House, but his total, $7,262.68, was more than double the amount received by any other legislator.
When State Republicans gathered Saturday in Kansas City for the annual Lincoln Days festivities, even at the height of the controversy surrounding the role lobbyists play in our government, Klindt was showered with praise by the top members of the Missouri GOP.
In her blog, St. Louis Post-Dispatch political columnist Jo Mannies notes that Klindt and his fellow senator John Cauthorn of Mexico, with their victories in special elections in 2001 helped turn control of the Senate over to the Republicans. Both men are barred by term limit laws from running for re-election.
"As a parting gift," Ms. Mannies writes, "Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder (who was made state Senate President Pro Tem by those 2001 wins) and current President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, gave both men framed and autographed maps of the state’s red-blue (GOP-Dem) Senate split in November 2000 and the red-blue split now."
Let me repeat some of the 2005 accomplishments of the man who received such honor from a statewide gathering of Republicans:
On March 15, Klindt accepted gifts of "meals, food and beverage" from five lobbyists: $18.75 from Datra Herzog of the lobbying firm of Herzog & Rhoads; $46.05 from her partner, Mark Rhoads; $76.33 from Mary Strate of the Missouri Beer Wholesalers Association; $46.20 from Richard Wiles of the Missouri Soft Drink Association; $30 from Guy William Black, representing Transcanada Corporation.
During a three-day period when the Senate was not in session, Aug. 16-18, Klindt received more $2,100 in gifts. The spree began Aug. 16 with Klindt receiving $421.77 for meals, food and beverage, $589.56 for travel, another $681.90 for travel, and $21.34 for a gift from William Shoehigh, lobbyist for the Microsoft Corporation, for a total of $1714.57.
In addition to the meal that was paid for by Shoehigh, even with all of that traveling, Klindt managed to have four more meals paid for by lobbyists: $141.27 from David Christian, lobbyist for Kansas City Power & Light; $11.69 from Drue Duncan, Ameren UE, $10 from Black, and another $20 from Black, for a total of five meals, costing $604.73.
On Aug. 17, Klindt had meals, food and beverage from four more lobbyists, totaling $158.06, and on Aug. 18, he had meals, food and beverage from three more lobbyists totaling $64.45.
Klindt, who serves on the House's Energy and Environment Committee also received $157.70 for travel on Sept. 12 from Barry Hart, lobbyist for the Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives; $60 for entertainment and $37.30 for meals, food and beverage from Drue Duncan of Ameren on Sept. 17, the same day he received an additional $60 for entertainment and $37.30 for meals, food and beverage from Larry Pleus of Ameren.
In October, Klindt picked up $102.47 for entertainment from Steven Bledsoe, lobbyist for Blue Cross Blue Shield and $220 for entertainment from Stephen Knorr of the University of Missouri.
The Missouri Ethics Commission documents also show $315.32 for meals, food and beverage on June 3, split evenly between Duncan and Charles Caisley of the Missouri Energy Development Association.
Though the other honoree, Cauthorn, did not come anywhere near Klindt's totals, he still accepted enough gifts to make the Turner Report Hall of Shame, coming in at number five with $2,167.21.
1 comment:
Where do they put all that food? Good Grief!!!
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