While it seems to have been overlooked by most of the state media, the $25,000 donated March 1 by Rep. Ron Richard to the Missouri House Republican Campaign Committee was a major coup in his quest to replace Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, as speaker of the house.
Statesmanship is an added plus, but these days, on both the state and national levels, the quality that is most prized is the ability to raise big bucks for party candidates and on that basis Richard made a clean first strike.
With Joplin CPA Nick Myers as his campaign treasurer, and new rules allowing unlimited campaign contributions, Richard garnered more than $48,000 in contributions since the 30 days after the election report.
More than $45,000 of that amount, as I noted in the April 14 Turner Report, came from a Jan. 2 fundraiser at a swank Jefferson City eating establishment:
That amount included more than $11,000 from lobbyists, bundled with money from their clients, $7,500 from seven Missouri Bankers Association regional political action committees, $2,550 from casino interests, and more than $5,300 from out-of-state interests.
Among the lobbyists dropping big bucks in Richard's collection plate were:
Election Day Enterprises- Election Days Enterprises is the political consulting firm owned by lobbyist and former State Representative Jewell Patek, $1,275
Mark Rhoads- Rhoads is the lobbyist for Harrah's Entertainment and Blue Cross Blue Shield, $1,000 from Rhoads, $325 from Blue Cross Blue Shield, $1,275 from Harrah's
Penman & Winton Consulting Group, Inc.- The lobbying firm, which represents AT*t, chipped in with $500
John Bardgett- The man considered by some to be Missouri's most powerful lobbyist kicked in with $1,275, while his client Missouri Cable PAC donated $2,000. The lobbying firm of Bardgett & Associates also contributed $1,275.
Roy Cagle- The lobbyist and former state representative from Joplin, who represents the Missouri Finance Institute, contributed $500.
Harness and Associates- Lobbyist Kathryn Harness' firm, which represents Northport Health Services and the Missouri Beer Wholesalers, among other clients, donated $200
The Giddens and Russell Group- The lobbying firm, which represents Altria. gave $1,000, with Altria adding
Michael Reid- Reid, who represents the Missouri School Boards Association, contributed $500.
Harry Gallagher- Though Gallagher's name was nowhere to be seen on the campaign disclosure form, the lobbying powerhouse delivered three of his clients, the aforementioned Missouri Insurance Coalition, R. J. Reynolds, which contributed $1,000 and $500 from Competitive Enterprise Growth PAC, which is the front of Texas-based beer and liquor distributor Glazer's.
Out of state interests contributing to Richard, in addition to R. J. Reynolds, Competitive Enterprise Growth, and Harrah's were:
Specialty Finance Corporation, Spartanburg, N. C., $1,000; Keith and Cathy Burdick, Jenks, Okla., $500, Brundage Management Company, San Antonio, Texas, $500; Longview Communications, Reston, Va., $100; Community Loans of America, Atlanta, Ga., $500; Comcast, Southfield, Mich., $1,000.
Others giving to Richard included:
MBA (Missouri Bankers Association) Truman Region PAC $1,200; MBA Ozark Region PAC, $1,200; MBA Gateway Region PAC, $1,200; MBA State PAC, $1,200; MBA Mark Twain PAC, $1,200; MBA River Heritage Region PAC $1,200; MBA Capitol Region PAC, $300; Land Trust No. 125 LLC, O'Fallon, $1,250; Dealers Interested in Government, Jefferson City, $200; The Missouri Gaming Company, Riverside, $1,275; Missouri Health Care Association PAC, Jefferson City, $1,275; CNS Corporation, Kansas City, $1,000; Missouri Hospital Association Southwest District PAC, Jefferson City, $650; Missouri Podiatry PAC, Jefferson City, $200; Freeman Physicians Group, Joplin, $1,275; Gary and Suzanne Duncan, Joplin, $1,275; Elect Nodler Committee, Joplin, $500; Christopher and Barbara Doering, Chesterfield, $500; The Swan Group, Columbia, $500; Havenwood LLC, O'Fallon, $1,250; Citizens for Jay Wasson, Nixa, $1,275; Missouri Forest Products PAC, Jefferson City, $300; Missouri Association of Municipal Utilities, $500; MOSFA PAC, Inc., Jefferson City, $500; New Wave Communications, Sikeston, $100; District One Missouri Health Care Association, Jefferson City, $1,275; Missouri Health Care Association PAC, Jefferson City, $1,275; Realtors PAC of Missouri, Columbia, $1,275; Home Building Industry PAC, St. Louis, $1,200; Missouri Chamber PAC, Jefferson City, $1,275; Empire District Electric Company, Joplin, $1,275; Suddenlink Missouri PAC, DePrees, $300; Missouri Optometric PAC, Jefferson City, $1,275; Missouri Association of Insurance Agents, Jefferson City, $1,000
Richard did considerably better than his opponent for the spaker position, Rep. Allen Icet, who did not contribute a cent to any party or candidate committees during the first quarter, according to his disclosure report. In fact, of the $20,000 spent by his campaign, $8,671.09 went to Keller and Associates, a Jefferson City fundraising outfit.
Still, Icet was able to rake in $7,700 in donations from lobbyists or donations that can be linked to lobbyists, more than a third of the $20,800 he received during the reporting period. These include:
-$6,150 from various clients of the powerhouse lobbying firm of Gamble & Schlemeier, the firm represents Missouri Health Care Association, Missouri Hospital Association and Ameristar Casinos, among a host of other clients. The contributions were credited to Emergency Medicine, Residential Care Facility PAC, Missouri Pharmacy PAC and Missouri Physicians Assistant. Most of those contributions came from the address for Gamble & Schlemeier. Icet received $3,500 from Missouri Health Care Association.
-$300 from Brent Evans, lobbyist for Missouri Hospital Association
-$325 from Brent Hemphill & Associates, lobbyists for AT&T, Penn National Gaming, and Argosy Gaming.
-$325 from Sherry Doctorian, lobbyist for Armstrong Teasdale and St. Louis University, among a number of clients.
-$325 from Patek & Associates, the firm operated by former State Rep. Jewell Patek, whose 32 clients include Sprint Nextel, Southeast Missouri State University, National Strategies, Inc., and Kansas City Power and Light.
-$325 from Election Day Enterprises, a consulting firm operated by Patek.
It should be interesting to see what the July disclosure reports show.
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