Republicans launch attack against Koster

Ex-Republican Chris Koster is the target of his former party's attacks.

The Missouri Republican Party issued a news release ripping into the Democratic attorney general candidate's ethics:

The Missouri Ethics Commission has yet to rule on fundraising complaints against Koster filed by a Lee's Summit resident in June for campaign finance violations. This looming complaint lingers while Koster, the “raise money by promising the world to donors” candidate bragged in the paper yesterday about raising 50-large in Denver at the Democrat convention. It will be interesting to see from his MEC report whether he was a day premature in accepting unlimited contributions doing what he’s done in the past saying forget the law, it doesn’t apply to me.

“Using campaign staff as mules for laundering money should be an immediate disqualification to be the next Attorney General,” said Tina Hervey, communications director of Missouri Republican Party. “Missourians should be concerned that the Democrat nominee for Attorney General is still under investigation by the Missouri Ethics Commission for illegally receiving donations that are larger than Missouri law allows. The people of Missouri want a candidate for Attorney General who protects the law, not breaks it.”

The four separate complaints against Koster allege that paid campaign staff channeled donations from the Economic Growth Council to various political party committees and then on to Koster's campaign. These questionable actions allowed Koster to receive contributions larger than allowed by law.

In July, Margaret Donnelly, and Jeff Harris also filed a complaint against Koster after a former staffer, Susan McNay, admitted to “laundering” money. Koster brazenly said he had done nothing wrong but he clearly violated the spirit of the law. His laundering of money made available to him large sums of money, which probably garnered him the votes to win the election. Margaret Donnelly has asked for a recount.

After 17 years of a corruption and politics in the Attorney General’s office, it is now time that Missouri has an Attorney General that not only adheres to the letter of the law but also the spirit of the law. Mike Gibbons is the only one who can restore the integrity of the office.