MOScout Daily Update: Franz Out at Tourism - Schmitt-McKee Connection - Calzone Wins Appeal and more....
Franz Out at Tourism
Multiple sources tell me that Ward Franz is out as Director of Tourism.
Franz, appointed to the post a little over a year ago, is no longer listed on the staff directory of the Division of Tourism.
Franz is a former state representative who was Mike Parson’s chief of staff when Parson was lieutenant governor. He didn’t join the governor’s staff when Parson ascended to that position. Instead, he took the job as topper of tourism.
Next?
Parson has a well-documented affection for legislators. Two possible replacements for Franz would be state representatives who are nearing their term limit: Reps. Jeff Justus and Elaine Gannon serve on the special Committee for Tourism, serving as chair and vice-chair respectively. It’s about an $80K/year job.
Suntrup on Schmitt-McKee
Post-Dispatch reports on the long relationship between Attorney General Eric Schmitt and developer Paul McKee, going back to 2011’s Aeropolis. They question if McKee got a good deal from the AG’s office in a tax credit fraud case. See it here.
In June 2018, the Missouri attorney general’s office, then led by Josh Hawley, filed suit, accusing NorthSide Regeneration of tax credit fraud and seeking the repayment of $2.6 million tied to the tax credits issued for the Pierce building…
Five months after he was sworn in, Schmitt’s office settled the NorthSide lawsuit for $324,000.
Not only did the state accept a fraction of the amount Hawley had sought, it also waived all future claims against NorthSide for its use of the controversial Distressed Area Land Assemblage (DALA) tax credit…
A Post-Dispatch review of state campaign finance records shows that over the course of his 11-year political career, Schmitt has received at least $150,000 in campaign donations from McKee family members and their companies; Stone and firms tied to him; and companies and people affiliated with the Bank of Washington — one of NorthSide’s largest creditors…
To be sure, Schmitt has been a prolific political fundraiser, raising around $7 million over his career…
In a statement, Schmitt spokesman Chris Nuelle said the June 2018 lawsuit was handled “at a staff level” in the attorney general’s office. When Schmitt was appointed, it “continued to be handled at a staff level.” The settlement was the best attorneys thought the state could do, he added…
The Pushback
Republican: The Post-Dispatch’s campaign finance stories on Eric Schmitt lacked substance. Donations from years ago to his state senate campaigns impacting a case he didn’t work on in the first place. Seriously?
Meanwhile
Democratic AG candidate Elad Gross hits Schmitt on conflict of interest: As part of my investigation into dark money corruption in Missouri, and as a result of the Attorney General taking campaign donations from people he is investigating, I submitted a Sunshine Request to the Attorney General for his conflict of interest policy. The policy requires regular audits be conducted to ensure the Attorney General is not taking money from targets of his investigations. However, since the implementation of this policy under Attorney General Hawley's administration, no audits have been conducted. The Attorney General is not abiding by his conflict of interest policy.
But
What’s most interesting is the crickets from Rich Finneran’s campaign this weekend. Shouldn’t they be pouncing on Schmitt in the headlines. What gives?
One Democratic legislator told me he’s angry that party types are even considering backing Finneran. Gross has been “working his ass off,” and “doing what we need all Democratic candidates to do,” criss-crossing the state talking to voters.
Calzone Wins Appeal
You got to hand it to him. Ron Calzone fought the law, and the law lost. 8th Circuit Appeals Court ruled that he doesn’t have to register to be lobbyist because he’s not paid and doesn’t spend money on lobbying.
This frees Calzone from what the majority opinion calls the “maze of legal requirements” that lobbyists must “navigate.” Never mind that “navigating The Maze” = five minutes to register online.
Readers on Robinson-Ohlsen
A couple politicos have mentioned to be that Nick Robinson who was indicted last week was one of the points of entry for Skip Ohlsen to meet other Democratic players. See the Post-Dispatch article about Ohlsen here.
SpreadsheetGate: Parson Won’t Investigate
Kansas City Star reports that Governor Mike Parson said on Friday he will not call for an investigation into the state’s health department following the revelation that the agency kept a spreadsheet that tracked the menstrual cycles of Planned Parenthood’s abortion patients…
“The truth of the matter is there is no special spreadsheet of what the accusations are,” Parson said. “The information that’s been coming into the department of health — that’s been going on since 1981 under state law, and lawmakers that don’t know that should probably take a good look at the laws in the state of Missouri. If you run an abortion clinic in the state of Missouri, you’re required to provide that information to the department of health.”
Disclosure of the spreadsheet’s existence came during the testimony of Dr. Randall Williams, the department’s director, during the hearing that will help decide whether the St. Louis clinic can retain its license…
Williams testified that the spreadsheet, titled “Director’s Request,” was created to help find “failed” abortions, or instances in which patients returned multiple times to the clinic to receive a successful abortion. More than 24 hours after Williams’ testimony, the department claimed Williams had never possessed or requested the spreadsheet.
Galloway to Clay: Don’t Be Intimated
Auditor Nicole Galloway sent an open letter to the “citizens of Clay County.” Here’s an excerpt…
Last week, the Clay County Commission's lawsuit seeking to block a citizen-mandated audit of county government was dismissed… The court's ruling allows the audit to move forward so that we can get the answers you deserve. As with all audits, my team will be professional, deliberate and thorough…
We are aware of concerns among some county employees about potential intimidation and retaliation. I want to assure all county residents and employees that information shared with us will remain confidential. If you contact us as a whistleblower, your identity is protected by law. Throughout 2017 and 2018, I worked with a bipartisan group of legislators and fought for greater whistleblower protections. We were successful in securing these important safeguards. No one should be reluctant to speak out against improper or illegal use of taxpayer money….
New Committees
Lewis And Clark Leadership PAC was formed. Its treasurer is Dirck Clark.
Edward Thurman formed a candidate committee (Edward S. Thurman Governor Race Candidate) to run for governor as a Democrat.
$5K+ Contributions
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $20,000 from Burns & McDonnell.
Missouri Senate Campaign Committee - $10,000 from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Kansas City
American Dream PAC - $12,500 from Ameren Missouri.
Lobbyists Registrations
Jason Zamkus added MCM Company Inc.
Patrick Andrew McInerney deleted Enterprise Leasing Company of KS, LLC.
James Nikolai deleted US Bancorp.
Harry James Otto deleted Missouri Department of Economic Development.
Francis Slay deleted Ferrovial Airports Holding Us Corp.
Birthdays
Happy birthday to Amy Gunn, Tony Messenger, Mike Allen, and Patrick Hamacher.