Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster is again showing what his priorities are. According to a February Associated Press article Koster spent over $3 million from consumer fraud settlements to remodel his office with new carpet and drapes. Now, he's putting Missourians on the back burner yet again.
Just this week, KCTV-5 investigative reporter Stacey Cameron revealed that the almost $40 million portion of a nation-wide mortgage settlement intended for Missouri homeowners never actually made it to Missourians. Attorney General Chris Koster, who claimed to join the lawsuit on behalf of Missourians, can be held largely to blame for the mishandled funds.
Ed Martin, Republican candidate for Attorney General, is very critical of Koster’s fiscal mismanagement. “Regardless of the settlement’s merits in the first place, an agreement was reached on behalf of struggling Missouri homeowners, and the victims should get the settlement,” Martin said. “When Koster spent $3 million to remodel his office in tight budgetary times he proved that he was more concerned about himself than public interests. Now, Koster has again failed in his duty."
Martin also said that if elected Attorney General he will ensure settlements are distributed to the victims. "I will not use settlement money for state employee office space or anything not related to the settlement. When money is intended for a specific purpose, it should be used for that purpose.”
State budgets are being cut, and Missourians who were supposed to receive help have not received it. We can no longer afford an Attorney General whose own priorities come before Missourians'.
Ed is also very interested in stepping in to a court room and getting to use his law degree for the first time.
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