Election hasn't been held yet, but Ben Baker already received $1,000 gift from lobbyist

If Ben Baker is elected to the Missouri House of Representatives November 6, he will not take office until January, but he already is taking gifts from lobbyists.

Baker's October quarterly report, filed Monday with the Missouri Ethics Commission, shows that his largest contribution, $1,000 came from the powerful Gibbons Workman lobbying firm of Jefferson City on September 7.

Gibbons Workman is one of those revolving door creations in which term-limited Michael Gibbons, after rising to the top of the Missouri Senate as president pro tem, immediately went into business for himself, lobbying his former colleagues.

His client list is a who's who of special interests, including the following:

Amplify Education (online education firm)

Centene Corporation

Cheyenne International (tobacco firm)

Missouri Automobile Dealers Association

Missouri Charter Public School Association

Monsanto

Peabody Energy

Total Wine and More




Gibbons Workman was not the only special interest contributing to the Baker campaign, according to his report:

Missouri Association of Insurance Agents $300

Missouri American Water $100

Missouri Medical PAC $300

AGC of Missouri PAC $500

Missouri Pork PAC $250.

Out of the $3,195.75 Baker received during the past three months, the only local contributor listed was a $300 donation from the Republican Women of Newton County.

Baker reported spending only $308.44 during that time and still had $3,517.90 in his account.

Baker's Democratic opponent, Neosho businesswoman Angela Thomas, raised $3,056.65 between July 1 and September 30, according to her October quarterly report, with all of it coming from Neosho, Granby and Joplin contributors, topped by $1,000 from former Crowder College President Kent Farnsworth, who is also Thomas' campaign treasurer.

She spent $2,376.36 and had $2,257.57 in her campaign account as of September 30.