Friday May 4 - Special Session Called - Sondag Retiring and more...
Legislature Sets Special Session for Greitens Scandal
The House and Senate collected the necessary signatures to call the legislature into special session. See the call here. See the press conference here. 138 state representatives and 29 senators signed the petition.
The session will start at 6:30PM on May 18 to consider the findings and recommendations of the House Special Investigative Committee.
The mighty Jason Rosenbaum tweeted that he thought impeachment was 99% certain. I think he’s basing this on math. After needing 75% of the state representatives to sign the petition – and getting 85% – you only need a majority for impeachment. But more than math is at work here.
First, I think the representatives are aware of the historic nature of the undertaken and nothing is predetermined.
Second, I’m guessing that Speaker Todd Richardson and the House leadership will eschew any pressure on state representatives. In this respect I expect the House to act more like the Senate in debate and voting on this issue.
More Collateral Damage
Post-Dispatch reports that “top aides to embattled Gov. Eric Greitens may soon be testifying under oath about the governor’s fundraising practices. A day after a special House committee released a report showing how Greitens had used a list of top donors to his former charity to raise money for his 2016 bid for governor and later lied when he settled a Missouri Ethics Commission complaint last year, plans were underway to subpoena former campaign staffers for additional information… former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward “Chip” Robertson Jr., an attorney for the legislative committee, said it will happen. Robertson’s pledge came in response to Greitens campaign attorney Catherine Hanaway, who complained the committee didn’t give the campaign a chance to be heard before it released the report…”
Will Governor Eric Greitens decide at some point that the damage he’s doing to others is not worth the office to which he clutches? Seems like the answer is obviously No.
He put his wife, and her family, through the revelations of the affair.
He’s put his former non-profit in a vulnerable spot, where they blasted out an email attempting to distance themselves to him. (“Three separate agencies have now indicated that the Greitens campaign misappropriated and used our list without our authorization or knowledge.”)
And now its staffers getting pulled into vortex…
Richardson’s Psyche
It’s a head-scratcher why Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson hasn’t filed charges for the demonstrably false Missouri Ethics Commission settlement.
One observer wonders if he’s nervous about his Republican primary opponent, Jefferson City attorney Locke Thompson.
It could be that the Democratic candidate should be of more concern to him, even though Cole County is considered Republican-tilted. D.K. Hirner has an extensive state governmental resume and served as executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. She’s a highly qualified woman in the 2018 election year of #MeToo, Greitens, Trump and other men behaving badly.
Other Possible Greitens Campaign Violations
Besides the headline conclusions of the second Barnes Report there are other red flags in the report that appear to offer grounds for further campaign violations. First, the Greitens campaign ran what the what Post-Dispatch termed a “shadow campaign.” A committee should have been formed much earlier. Instead they were essentially operating an unreported campaign for several months.
Second, those early campaign staffers were paid by the Greitens Group for months. That should have been reported as an in-kind contribution.
But most troubling is the possibility that the campaign actively worked to conceal the identity of donors.
LLC Follow-up
On Twitter, SuperLawyer Chuck Hatfield and former Sen. Jeff Smith considered reasons why someone – like the governor – would use an LLC to purchase their home.
Hatfield: Today’s twitter law: Some reasons to have an LLC are 1) protects assets in case you are sued by someone you wronged. 2) easily allows multiple investors in LLC 3) secrecy.
Smith: So to clarify: if others can secretly invest in an LLC incorporated to purchase someone's home, does that mean that they could pay some or all of that person's mortgage/property tax payments? If so, how/where would that be appropriately reported?
Hatfield: No required way to do it as far as I know. Normally LLC is liable for taxes. The operating agreement (not public) Could allocate tax liability amongst any partners so that not all of them are responsible for taxes. There will also be a designated “tax matters” partner.
Faughn’s Story
Scott Faughn gave an interview to KMOX’s Mark Reardon. Listen to it here. In it he once again says that the money was his own, seemingly taking offense when Reardon questions whether he would have the wherewithal to lay down $50K like that.
Questioning Faughn’s liquidity isn’t unfounded of course. CaseNet shows an unsatisfied personal tax lien, as well as numerous unsatisfied tax liens filed against The Missouri Times.
And he has also fought off lawsuits for non-payment in the past. Most recently he was sued for a long-standing non-payment (his attorney was Sam Gladney, Democratic candidate for House 87). The case was dismissed last month without prejudice, according to CaseNet.
Faughn then posted the explanation that he paid Watkins for the tapes that the husband made. This claim also has credibility issues as it’s at odds to what Al Watkins has said under oath. And the mighty Jason Rosenbaum tweets that he doesn’t think SuperLawyer Chuck Hatfield would put false statements into the court filing. See it here, clearly saying that the money was delivered to pay for the husband’s legal representation.
ATT’s Sondag Retires
Post Dispatch reports that “John Sondag, who has overseen regulatory, governmental and external affairs as president of AT&T Missouri since July 2010, is retiring from the company after four decades. Sondag joined the company, then named Southwestern Bell, in 1978. He held multiple executive roles in San Antonio and St. Louis, including vice president of external affairs… ‘I am grateful to have worked with so many wonderful people during my career and I look forward to spending this next chapter finding new ways to give back to St. Louis and Missouri,’ he said in a statement.”
Lobbyists Registrations
Chris Grimm added Simple Contacts Inc., and JAND Inc DBA Warby Parker.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee to Elect David Evans - $5,500 from David Evans.
We Are Missouri - $102,350 from Missouri AFL-CIO General Fund.
Janet Burlingame For County Clerk - $20,000 from Janet Burlingame.
Find the Cures - $151,000 from Bradley Bradshaw.
Friends for Locke Thompson - $7,000 from Locke Thompson.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Michael Stephens.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jason Kander.
Saturday: David Day, John Hickey, and Michael Hafner.
Sunday: Rep. Tom Hannegan.
Legislature Sets Special Session for Greitens Scandal
The House and Senate collected the necessary signatures to call the legislature into special session. See the call here. See the press conference here. 138 state representatives and 29 senators signed the petition.
The session will start at 6:30PM on May 18 to consider the findings and recommendations of the House Special Investigative Committee.
The mighty Jason Rosenbaum tweeted that he thought impeachment was 99% certain. I think he’s basing this on math. After needing 75% of the state representatives to sign the petition – and getting 85% – you only need a majority for impeachment. But more than math is at work here.
First, I think the representatives are aware of the historic nature of the undertaken and nothing is predetermined.
Second, I’m guessing that Speaker Todd Richardson and the House leadership will eschew any pressure on state representatives. In this respect I expect the House to act more like the Senate in debate and voting on this issue.
More Collateral Damage
Post-Dispatch reports that “top aides to embattled Gov. Eric Greitens may soon be testifying under oath about the governor’s fundraising practices. A day after a special House committee released a report showing how Greitens had used a list of top donors to his former charity to raise money for his 2016 bid for governor and later lied when he settled a Missouri Ethics Commission complaint last year, plans were underway to subpoena former campaign staffers for additional information… former Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Edward “Chip” Robertson Jr., an attorney for the legislative committee, said it will happen. Robertson’s pledge came in response to Greitens campaign attorney Catherine Hanaway, who complained the committee didn’t give the campaign a chance to be heard before it released the report…”
Will Governor Eric Greitens decide at some point that the damage he’s doing to others is not worth the office to which he clutches? Seems like the answer is obviously No.
He put his wife, and her family, through the revelations of the affair.
He’s put his former non-profit in a vulnerable spot, where they blasted out an email attempting to distance themselves to him. (“Three separate agencies have now indicated that the Greitens campaign misappropriated and used our list without our authorization or knowledge.”)
And now its staffers getting pulled into vortex…
Richardson’s Psyche
It’s a head-scratcher why Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson hasn’t filed charges for the demonstrably false Missouri Ethics Commission settlement.
One observer wonders if he’s nervous about his Republican primary opponent, Jefferson City attorney Locke Thompson.
It could be that the Democratic candidate should be of more concern to him, even though Cole County is considered Republican-tilted. D.K. Hirner has an extensive state governmental resume and served as executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri. She’s a highly qualified woman in the 2018 election year of #MeToo, Greitens, Trump and other men behaving badly.
Other Possible Greitens Campaign Violations
Besides the headline conclusions of the second Barnes Report there are other red flags in the report that appear to offer grounds for further campaign violations. First, the Greitens campaign ran what the what Post-Dispatch termed a “shadow campaign.” A committee should have been formed much earlier. Instead they were essentially operating an unreported campaign for several months.
Second, those early campaign staffers were paid by the Greitens Group for months. That should have been reported as an in-kind contribution.
But most troubling is the possibility that the campaign actively worked to conceal the identity of donors.
LLC Follow-up
On Twitter, SuperLawyer Chuck Hatfield and former Sen. Jeff Smith considered reasons why someone – like the governor – would use an LLC to purchase their home.
Hatfield: Today’s twitter law: Some reasons to have an LLC are 1) protects assets in case you are sued by someone you wronged. 2) easily allows multiple investors in LLC 3) secrecy.
Smith: So to clarify: if others can secretly invest in an LLC incorporated to purchase someone's home, does that mean that they could pay some or all of that person's mortgage/property tax payments? If so, how/where would that be appropriately reported?
Hatfield: No required way to do it as far as I know. Normally LLC is liable for taxes. The operating agreement (not public) Could allocate tax liability amongst any partners so that not all of them are responsible for taxes. There will also be a designated “tax matters” partner.
Faughn’s Story
Scott Faughn gave an interview to KMOX’s Mark Reardon. Listen to it here. In it he once again says that the money was his own, seemingly taking offense when Reardon questions whether he would have the wherewithal to lay down $50K like that.
Questioning Faughn’s liquidity isn’t unfounded of course. CaseNet shows an unsatisfied personal tax lien, as well as numerous unsatisfied tax liens filed against The Missouri Times.
And he has also fought off lawsuits for non-payment in the past. Most recently he was sued for a long-standing non-payment (his attorney was Sam Gladney, Democratic candidate for House 87). The case was dismissed last month without prejudice, according to CaseNet.
Faughn then posted the explanation that he paid Watkins for the tapes that the husband made. This claim also has credibility issues as it’s at odds to what Al Watkins has said under oath. And the mighty Jason Rosenbaum tweets that he doesn’t think SuperLawyer Chuck Hatfield would put false statements into the court filing. See it here, clearly saying that the money was delivered to pay for the husband’s legal representation.
ATT’s Sondag Retires
Post Dispatch reports that “John Sondag, who has overseen regulatory, governmental and external affairs as president of AT&T Missouri since July 2010, is retiring from the company after four decades. Sondag joined the company, then named Southwestern Bell, in 1978. He held multiple executive roles in San Antonio and St. Louis, including vice president of external affairs… ‘I am grateful to have worked with so many wonderful people during my career and I look forward to spending this next chapter finding new ways to give back to St. Louis and Missouri,’ he said in a statement.”
Lobbyists Registrations
Chris Grimm added Simple Contacts Inc., and JAND Inc DBA Warby Parker.
$5K+ Contributions
Committee to Elect David Evans - $5,500 from David Evans.
We Are Missouri - $102,350 from Missouri AFL-CIO General Fund.
Janet Burlingame For County Clerk - $20,000 from Janet Burlingame.
Find the Cures - $151,000 from Bradley Bradshaw.
Friends for Locke Thompson - $7,000 from Locke Thompson.
House Republican Campaign Committee Inc - $10,000 from Michael Stephens.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Jason Kander.
Saturday: David Day, John Hickey, and Michael Hafner.
Sunday: Rep. Tom Hannegan.
