Speaker of the House receives $1,700 in sports tickets, gifts from lobbyists during three-week period

Speaker of the House Tim Jones (R-Eureka, I've found someone else who will give me a freebie) spent three weeks watching Missouri's top athletic events, but didn't spend a dime of his own money in doing so.

Missouri Ethics Commission online records show that Jones, who has made public education a target for the 2013 legislative session, needs to brush up on his own education, including the part that talks about avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

During a three-week period between September 28 and October 19, Jones accepted more than $1,700 worth of sports tickets, parking passes, and meals at sporting events. On September 28, a lobbyist for Anheuser-Busch paid for $880 worth of entertainment at Busch Stadium, according to the Ethics Commission documents.

Documents posted this morning on the Ethics Commission website, shows the pattern continuing in October.

AT&T lobbyist Craig Unruh spent $60 for a St. Louis Cardinals ticket for Jones on October 8 and $5 for a meal.

John Bardgett, who always hides just what special interest is being represented by listing his firm, Bardgett and Associates, is down for three freebies- $72.50 for another Cardinals ticket on October 8, the same day Unruh was buying Jones a ticket, $97 for a Cardinals playoff ticket Oct. 18 and the same amount the following day.

In between watching those Cardinals game, Jones apparently took in an MU football game, courtesy of five tickets and parking passes, totaling $390 from Ameren UE lobbyist Matthew Forck.

So far this year, Jones has taken $2,694.34 in lobbyists' gifts, according to the Ethics Commission documents.

Of course, with his high moral character and reputation for integrity, no one could ever believe that Tim Jones could be influenced by a steady flow of freebies from special interests.