Travis Brown, lobbyist for billionaire Rex Sinquefield, spent more than $1,700 wining and dining Joplin's top legislators, Sen. Gary Nodler and Rep. Ron Richard and their wives, during a two-day period in November, according to documents posted today on the Missouri Ethics Commission website.
Nodler, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and his wife Joncee, received $1,135.98 in meals and lodging from Sinquefield's lobbyist Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, according to the documents. On Nov. 7, each of the Nodlers received $162.13 for meals, with the total increasing to $286.21 apiece for meals the following day.
Nodler received lodging totaling $239.30 on Nov. 7.
Richard, who will become Speaker of the House next week, also received the $239.30 for lodging on the 7th, with he and his wife each receiving meals worth $162.13 on the 7th and $25.13 on the 8th.
The total for the two legislators was $1748.80, according to the Ethics Commission documents.
Others who were dining on the Sinquefield tab included outgoing Speaker Rod Jetton and his wife Cassie, Sen. Rob Mayer, R-Dexter, and his wife Nancy, Rep. Allen Icet, R_Wildwood, Budget Committee chairman; Rep. Mike Sutherland, R-Warrenton; Rep. Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, Majority Floor Leader; and Rep. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa. Only Wasson, who received $25.63 in meals, received less than $100 from Brown, according to the Ethics Commission documents.
During the two days, Brown spent $4,807.11, with all but $238 of that total, a $150 gift for Jetton from the Brown Lobbying Firm and $88 for travel for Tilley from Pelopidas, footed by Sinquefield.
Keep up the good work Rex. Many residents of Missouri are glad that you care to provide legislators with information from other sources other than the people with their hands out asking for more of our tax money while ripping us off.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to see that those like Mr. Turner who apparently would sell their integrity for dinners think everyone else would do the same. Perhaps Mr. Turner could share a cell with the Governor of Illinois in the future so he would know for sure what a politician looks like that is willing to sell his integrity. He hasn't demonstrated he knows what one looks like yet.