Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Schaefer Hits Hawley on Legal Brief
Sen. Kurt Schaefer attacked Josh Hawley, his Republican attorney general opponent, over
Rudi Keller reported on the issue. See it here.
Pull Quote: Hawley in 2009 helped write a brief for the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran in its District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals case against the U.S. Department of State. Hawley, now an associate professor of law at the University of Missouri, worked at the time for Hogan Lovells, one of three firms representing the group. A July 2012 report on terrorists from the State Department describes the organization, also known as the Mujahedin-E Khalq, as a Marxist-Islamic group formed in 1963 to oppose the Shah of Iran. The group was responsible for the assassination of U.S. citizens and military personnel before 1979 and helped seize and occupy the U.S. Embassy in Tehran…
“Using your law license to represent a terrorist organization that is responsible for the deaths of American servicemen is inconsistent with being the top law enforcement officer in the state of Missouri, period,” Schaefer said…
“By the time they came to my firm, Hogan Lovells, they had long since voluntarily disarmed, given up any kind of military action and were aiding the U.S. in material ways,” Hawley said…
Schaefer’s Tweet: @KurtUSchaefer: Representing terror groups who kill American soldiers is inconsistent w/ being MO's top law enforcement. Period.
Hawley responded by having his supporters at the National Review write a rebuttal. See it here. Pull Quote: In August, National Review editorialized that conservatives in Missouri had an easy choice in backing Josh Hawley over Kurt Schaefer in the Republican primary for attorney general. Hawley, a law professor, helped Hobby Lobby win its religious-liberty case in the Supreme Court; Schaefer, a state senator, is a champion of trial lawyers fighting tort reform. Schaefer is now attacking Hawley for writing a legal brief making the case that the State Department should not designate the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran as a terrorist organization…. In 2012, State dropped the terrorist designation, following similar British and European decisions. In launching his attack, Schaefer harks back to the 1970s… The group’s more recent record is less convenient for Schaefer. So is the fact that in its campaign to be taken off the terrorist list, PMOI had the support of John Bolton, Rudolph Giuliani, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey, former CIA directors Jim Woolsey, Mike Hayden, and Porter Goss, and former FBI director Louis Freeh. It also had the support of several prominent Missouri Republicans: sitting senator Roy Blunt, former senator (and governor, and attorney general) John Ashcroft, and former senator and governor Kit Bond….
KCTV: Possible Contenders to Replace Sanders
KCTV ran through a list of folks who may run for Jackson County Executive. See it here.
County Legislator Frank White, who is a member of the Royals Hall of Fame, is considering running. His name recognition would make him a tough opponent and he would likely get a clear path to the job. Long-time County Legislator Dan Tarwater and County Legislator Tony Miller were among the names mentioned on Tuesday. Former Kansas City Councilwomen Cindy Circo and Cathy Jolly as well as former County Legislator Theresa Garza and former State Sen. Victor Callahan could consider bids.
Schupp for Transparency
Sen. Jill Schupp pre-filed a bill that would require 501c4 organizations which engage in electioneering activities to file disclosures with the Missouri Ethics Commission. See it here.
Bits
Missouri Farmers Care an organization that represents the state's farmers and ranchers, is pleased to announce Ashley McCarty of Kirksville, Mo., has accepted the position of executive director. McCarty and her husband operate McCarty Cattle Company on their family farm in Adair County. She is currently a district field manager for the Missouri Corn Growers Association, a board member for the Adair/Schuyler County Farm Bureau and an agricultural representative on the Missouri Clean Water Commission.
Gov. Jay Nixon today announced the appointment of Jefferson County Circuit Judge Lisa Page, of Festus, to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. Judge Page will fill the vacancy on the appellate court created by the retirement of the Honorable Clifford Ahrens.
Apple for Missouri was formed. It’s the candidate committee for Winston Apple to run for Lieutenant Governor as a Democrat.
Tweet of the Day
Better Together’s Dave Leipholtz… @Leipholtz: In their defense it takes a while for 90 municipalities to coordinate.
eMailbag on Koster Contributions
Those donations to Koster yesterday (Tues 12/22) from LLCs with the same address were weird. The addresses are the same address as ClayCorp Inc and the registered agent for each entity is ClayCorp Inc. ClayCorp Inc is generally known as Clayco. The contributions are weird because the donations, totaling $50,000, could have been made legally from Clayco as a lump sum without running the donations through LLCs.
Help Wanted
Missouri Health Care for All (MHCFA) seeks Policy Director. “Missouri Health Care for All (MHCFA), a non-partisan, faith and community-based grassroots movement committed to securing access to affordable, high-quality health care for all Missourians is seeking a full-time Policy Director to further Missouri Health Care for All’s mission & grassroots impact in state health policy. This position will be based in Jefferson City to best represent MHCFA’s mission, work with elected officials, attend stakeholder and coalition meetings, and work with regulatory agencies and departments. There will be periodic statewide travel. Some trips will require an overnight stay….” See the ad here.
Missouri House of Representatives seeks Public Information Specialist. “Job responsibilities include researching information, writing and editing speeches, composing news releases, articles, and other publications for dissemination to the media. Position will also be responsible for drafting courtesy resolutions to highlight the accomplishments of Missouri citizens and businesses… The salary range for this position begins at $2,498/month; however, actual starting salary commensurate with knowledge, education and experience…” See the ad here.
Lobbyists Registrations
David Sweeney added Instate Partners.
Derek Hein added Draftkings Inc.
Peter Levi deleted Jackson County.
$5K+ Contributions
New Approach Missouri - $24,000 from Health Grow LLC.
Raise Your Hand For Kids - $10,000 from Alliance for Childhood Education.
Koster for Missouri - $9,300 from Marathon Administrative Company Inc.
Eastern MO Laborers Education & Benevolent Fund - $38,073 from Laborers’ Local 1104.
MADA Dealers Interested in Government - $50,000 from MADA Services Corporation.
Eastern MO Laborers Education & Benevolent Fund - $7,670 from Construction & General Laborer Local 955.
Eastern MO Laborers Education & Benevolent Fund - $198,579 from L.I.U.N.A. Locall 110.
Koster for Missouri - $10,000 from PhRMA.
Scott Sifton for Missouri - $5,001 from Slay for Mayor.
Missourians for John Brunner - $10,000 from Trailiner Corp.
Civic Progress Action Committee - $13,000 from Anheuser-Busch Companies.
Friends of Todd Richardson - $10,000 from Smithfield Foods Inc.
Citizens for Owen - $40,000 from Gene Owen.
ElectGregMueller.com - $25,000 from Michael Nooney.
Committee to Elect Galen Higdon for the 11th District - $5,001 from Chipp Political Account.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to…
Thursday: Sen. Paul Wieland, Rep. Lindell Shumake, and St. Louis Committeeman Joe Palm.
Friday: David Christian.
Saturday: Speaker Todd Richardson, Rep. Tracy McCreery, former Rep. Stanley Cox, and Allison Onder.
Sunday: Rep. Jay Barnes, and Michael Meredith.
MOScout News
No Daily Updates tomorrow or Friday (barring something extraordinary), and no Who Won the Week or Weekly Summary on Friday, and no Weekly Poll this weekend. In other words, vacation. See you Monday….