(From the Ed Martin campaign)
Even more shocking evidence of Chris Koster's pay-to-play corruption has been uncovered, revealing that State Auditor Tom Schweich's June 2012 audit was only the tip of the iceberg of the deep and growing scandal involving Koster, his official office and his political campaign.
Schweich's audit caught Koster red-handed accepting over $170,000 in campaign contributions from law firms actively bidding on state contracts - a situation Auditor Schweich definitively called "a conflict of interest." Now, Koster's own campaign finance reports and official government documents show he received almost $750,000 in campaign contributions since the 2008 election cycle from law firms that replied to Requests for Proposal (RFP's).
During the 2008 election cycle, Koster received more than $260,000 in campaign contributions from firms who later bid on contracts from his office. Since 2008, Koster has received nearly $475,000 in contributions for a total of nearly $750,000. These large donations routinely come from some of the largest law firms in Missouri, including Humphrey, Farrington & McClain, Hershewe Law Firm, Strong, Garner, Bauer PC, and Langdon & Emison - all of which have received payment from the state during Koster's time in office.
Republican Attorney General nominee Ed Martin said:
"We now know without a doubt that State Auditor Tom Schweich's audit was only the beginning. Koster's disgraceful trail of corruption spans at least four years and nearly $750,000 in contributions from multiple law firms that sought special treatment from his office in exchange for campaign cash. Having gone toe-to-toe in the courtroom with Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, I know what corruption looks like. Koster has shamefully compromised the integrity of his elected office by bringing Chicago-style pay-to-play tactics to Missouri and it needs to stop immediately. Koster is truly is living up to his title of 'Obama's Lawyer.'"
Last week, the Martin campaign filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commissionover two large in-kind contributions Koster appears to have reported inappropriately. Also last week, shocking evidence revealed Koster met with Express Scripts executiveson taxpayers' dime and reported a $10,000 donation two days later.
State Auditor Schweich’s audit released in June found $170,000 in campaign contributions from firms actively bidding on state contracts. Another $4 million was spent on “legal and expert” witness services, but without adequate documentation to justify the expenses. This scorching new evidence is proof that Koster is using taxpayer dollars to pad his campaign coffers.
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