Lobbyists' gifts nearly double for Jetton in 2007

With one month left to be posted for 2007, Speaker of the House Rod Jetton has nearly doubled the amount of lobbyists' gifts he has accepted, according to Missouri Ethics Commission documents.
During the first 11 months of 2007, Jetton accepted $2,398.85 in lobbyists' gifts, compared to $1,230.88 for all of 2006. Of the $2,398.85, all but $481.50 came after the legislative session ended in May, the documents indicate.
During the most recent disclosure documents filed with the Ethics Commission, one of the highlights was a trip to what pretty much amounted to a lobbyists' convention, held in Miami Beach Nov. 18 and 19, as noted in the Jan. 1 Turner Report. During the State Government Affairs Council leadership training seminar, Jetton, Sen. Charlie Shields, R-Kansas City, and Senate President Pro Tem (and attorney general candidate) Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, had their travel and meals furnished by lobbyists, including a nightime visit to Mango's Tropical Cafe, a top tourist attraction featuring scantily clad dancers. That visit was financed by Monsanto lobbyist Frank Plescia. Though the three legislators' wives were not with them at Mango's, the wives' travel and meals were also financed by lobbyists, including those representing Armstrong Teasdale and AT&T.

The Miami Beach convention was not the only out-of-state trip in which the speaker had his costs picked up by lobbyists. As noted in the Oct. 1 Turner Report, Ameristar Casino lobbyist Sarah Topp financed a cruise for Jetton, representatives Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, Beth Low, D-Kansas City, Tony George, D-St. Louis, and Shannon Cooper, R-Clinton, as well as for Jetton's administrative assistant Kay Fitzpatrick, Holsman's wife, Robyn, and 13 House and Senate staff members.

The cruise, which cost $15 apiece for the legislators, was just a small portion of the $214.75 in lobbyists' gifts Jetton garnered during the three-day convention, including another $64.79 dinner on Aug. 6 paid for by Ms. Topp, who according to the Ethics Commission documents, split the bill between Ameristar Casinos, Missouri Railroad Association, Missouri Beverage Association, and Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri. Jetton also received $65 worth of entertainment from Kent Gaines, lobbyist for the Construction Employers Coalition.

The amount of lobbyists' gifts received by the Jetton family is much more than that listed on his disclosure form. Unfortunately, family members are not included on the searchable disclosure forms posted on the Ethics Commission website. Those gifts have to be traced by going to the documents filed by each individual lobbyist.

For instance, when MU lobbyist Stephen C. Knorr spread around $1,625 worth of Kenny Chesney tickets to Missouri legislators, staff members, and family members on May 18, Ethics Commission records show that Jetton paid Knorr the $69 for his ticket. Knorr's disclosure form, however, indicates the lobbyist provided a $69 ticket for Jetton's wife, Cassie, which was accepted. The meals and travel provided by lobbyists for Mrs. Jetton to the Miami Beach and Boston conventions is not included on her husband's disclosure form.

In addition to the gifts that have come Jetton's way, members of his staff have also frequently been the recipients of lobbyist goodies. Unfortunately, that is not as easy to trace since separate disclosure reports are not available online for staff members.

A quick examination of Ethics Commission documents for a number of the lobbyists who have given gifts to Jetton shows that his administrative assistant, Kay Fitzpatrick, one of those who went along on the Boston cruise thanks to the generosity of a casino lobbyist, has received nearly $2,000 in gifts.

That becomes more worrisome, when a quote given by Ms. Fitzpatrick to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the March 9, 2006, edition is taken into consideration:

House Speaker Rod Jetton's administrative assistant, Kay Fitzpatrick, has acknowledged she does not use all the tickets lobbyists give her. For example, University of Missouri lobbyist Steve Knorr gave Fitzpatrick $2,105 worth of tickets to nine athletic events last year. Fitzpatrick said she attended several games and distributed the rest of the tickets to others, including Jetton. Because they went to Fitzpatrick, the tickets did not show up as gifts to Jetton. A spokesperson for the speaker said Jetton did not intend to hide any gifts. Knorr also reported giving some tickets to unnamed staff members, which is not allowed under the law.

Time Warner Cable lobbyist Damon Shelby Porter's November disclosure form shows Ms. Fitzpatrick received two tickets worth $130 to the University of Missouri's football game against KU. It also shows Jetton receiving two tickets on Nov. 24, but that was amended Dec. 21 with the notation "expenditure given to assistant- Kay Fitzpatrick.
Porter also provided Ms. Fitzpatrick with $720 worth of tickets to see the Blue Man Group on Nov. 23, according to the disclosure form.
Among the other gifts received by Ms. Fitzpatrick in 2007:

-$169.71 for two Cardinal baseball tickets and meals from Carl Bearden, lobbyist for retired billionaire Rex Sinquefield on Sept. 19

-Three football tickets worth $195 from University of Missouri lobbyist Erin Elliott on Oct. 6.

-Four football tickets, worth $200, from MU lobbyist Allen James Snider on Oct. 27

-Four football tickets, worth $220, from MU lobbyist Martin Oetting on Oct. 20.

-$36 worth of basketball tickets from Oetting on Jan. 2.

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