From all indications, each of the approximately 100 continuing committees formed by retired billionaire voucher supporter Rex Sinquefield to enable him to legally contribute far beyond the limit to favored politicians has contributed the maximum to Governor Matt Blunt's re-election campaign.
An examination of approximately two dozen of these committees, which filed quarterly disclosure reports Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission, shows each one gave Blunt $1,275.
Sinquefield, as an individual, contributed far more than that during the months when Missouri's campaign contribution limits were taken off the books, but that money was returned after the Missouri Supreme Court reinstated the limits in July.
Sinquefield's committees, with names like Missourians for Economic Growth, Missourians Needing Educational Alternatives, Missourians Supporting Teaching Excellence, and Merit Pay for Missouri Teachers, showed no contributions from anyone except Sinquefield. Though Blunt was the major recipient of Sinquefield's generosity, he was far from the only one.
While most of the committees checked with receiving contributions ranging from $1,675 to $2,500, the Merit Pay for Missouri Teachers South PAC received $26,250, according to the Ethics Commission documents with $24,225 of that going to the Speaker Jetton Leadership Fund, the continuing committee formed Dec. 7 by Speaker of the House Rod Jetton.
Most of the committees gave maximum $325 contributions to Rep. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, Rep. Bryan Pratt, R-Blue Springs, and Rep. Jerry Nolte, R-Gladstone.
The Merit Pay for Missouri Teachers group was giving maxmimum $650 contributions to Rep. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, who is running for a State Senate seat, and Rep. Jack Goodman, R-Mount Vernon.
1 comment:
Take a look at Blunt's Addendum Statement to his financial disclosure. Rudy Farber got a "refund" of $49,850; Anne Wells got back $24,850 (if I recall correctly) and the Humphrey family got back $99,000+.
More interesting, look at the interest income. Over $9,000, this quarter, in interest income, from Community Bank and Trust. Rudy Farber, of course, is the CEO of CBT. Why would a sitting governor have that much money (and how much money does it take to draw $9K interest in one quarter)in a small Southwest Missouri bank? What interest rate is Matt drawing on his Rudy savings?
It will be interesting to see how the Farber-Wells-Humphrey money gets back to Matt.
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