Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Court filing: Carthage Citizens United never worked to have Greg Dagnan fired


In a motion to dismiss filed Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court, attorney William Lasley representing Carthage Citizens United, claims the group never worked to have former City Administrator Greg Dagnan fired.

Dagnan is suing the City of Carthage, City Council members Tiffany Cossey and Alan Snow and Carthage Citizens United for wrongful dismissal.







The judge dismissed Carthage Citizens United as a defendant on the original petition, but an amended petition was filed October 1 dismissing all council members except Cossey and Snow as defendants and restoring Carthage Citizens United to the defendant list. Dagnan alleges the organization interfered with his contract with the city and his attempts to battle corruption in the city.
Carthage Citizens United formed in 2023 and aggressively began fund raising efforts to replace council members with new members who would carry out the organization's bidding of firing Mr. Dagnan.

That's just not the case, Lasley said.

Assuming this allegation to be true (which it isn't), Carthage Citizens United would have every right to do this. Political action committees merely allow people of average means to pool their funds and create a stronger and more impactful voice than each would have as individuals.

The statutory purpose of such committees as described in R.S.Mo 130.011 (7) is to "influence and attempt to influence the action of voters for or against candidates or ballot measures."

Even if Carthage Citizens United had advertised an intention to use the council to legally rid Carthage of Mr. Dagnan, it had every right to do so.

Some of the citizens of average means who support Carthage Citizens United were listed as contributors in the committee's quarterly disclosure report filed today with the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The report shows the committee raised $2,900 over the past three months, spent $4,672.95 and had $3,129.25 in the bank.

Those contributing during the reporting period were the following:

William Putnam $200

Alexander Boyer $200

Debbie Smallwood $200

Mark Peterson $200






Betsy Flanigan $200

William Lasley $200

George Goff $500

Jack Crusa $200

Julia Scott $200

Jimmy Grimes $200

Heather Collier $200

Danny Lambeth $200

Mary Beimdiek $200

Of the $4,672.95 spent by the committee, $4,660 went to Lasley's law firm, Flanigan, Lasley & Moore LLP for legal expenses.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

CCU is so full of crap. I love the contribution from Mark Peterson. Stolen money from the city or from his investments in cryptocurrency? Nearly all funds benefitted Lasley too.

Anonymous said...

Peterson probably borrowed it from Danny Lambeth, the buddy who bailed him out of jail and then hid from police when they showed up at Peterson’s house.

Anonymous said...

The have post on their facebook page of videos of the CCU work the caption CCU asking for Dagnan to be fired. Then they inserted a member on the council to carry out their plan to fire him. It’s not the same as just supporting candidates that agree with you.

Anonymous said...

CCU is made up of the most corrupt group of people who have done NOTHING for Carthage. I can’t believe they had the guts to form this PAC. Political Action Committees are unconstitutional and should be banned. A group of people pooling their money together to change the political outcome is communist party agenda. Fidel Castro = Bill Putnam

Anonymous said...

I’d choose the honesty annd integrity of Kirk Friesen, Bill Sheerer, and Keith Hurlburt OVER Bill Putnam, Danny Lambeth, Heather Collier, Pat Goff, and Debbie Smallwood.

Anonymous said...

Nearly half of those CCU donors are on the Steadley Trust Board. The board that Mark Peterson tried to get money from to buy the Precious Moments land for his park project. The deal Dagnan nixed. The deal that all these people were going to make money off of. No wonder they wanted Dagnan gone.

Anonymous said...

This is the best oxymoron ever!

Anonymous said...

Agree! This Steadley Board is a corrupt group of manipulators! They only give money to projects they like or get some benefit from. Total BS. I do want to know more about this “land deal”! Who owned the land? One of these crooks? Exactly how were they going to benefit? What was going to happen? I’ve been suspicious about them for a long time. No real contribution to Carthage, just lining their pockets. How was Peterson involved? What council members were also involved? This needs to be EXPOSED!!!!

Anonymous said...

All that missing golf money probably didn't steal or money launder itself.
But not if you ask the Carthage Clown caUcus!

"“conceal and disguise ownership and control of the proceeds of felony criminal activity, by moving stolen funds among five business accounts…”

"two counts of money laundering (class B) and three counts of stealing (two class C and one class D)"

https://carthagenewsonline.com/news/police-fire-ems/former-carthage-golf-course-manager-charged-with-stealing-money-laundering-after-forensic-audit-reveals-over-142k-missing-from-city-accounts/

Anonymous said...

Oxymoron of KF, BS, and KH to be honest and to have intregity, to clarify. All three are a boil on the backside of society.

Anonymous said...

The only ones that come out ahead are the DAMN ATTORNIES - Whether you Win or Lose - they still get Paid...

Anonymous said...

Have you ever seen a bankrupt pastor?

Religion pays pretty well, and they are billing the devout cradle to grave!