MOScout Daily Update: Galloway Online Donations Spike - MedEx Nears $10M Mark - New Cole Ad - Schmitt's New Precedents - Restaurants Complain of DOR Audits and more...

Parson Walks Back School Comment

Governor Mike Parson clarified his comments in which he seemed to be resigned and accepting of the fact that students will be at risk when they return to school.  See his explanation here.  It was an effort to contain the damage.

·         One Republican fumed to me: Why did parson and his crack team let the school kids getting covid comment become a four day story that got national play?

And Galloway’s people indicated they’ve gotten a bounce from the gaffe.

·         The campaign saw its most online donations in one single day ever — raising tens of thousands of dollars from more than 1,000 online donations in 24 hours. That’s more donations than Mike Parson had in his entire third quarter. (Parson had 788 in Q2).

·         Auditor Galloway’s three Facebook posts about Parson’s comments were her best performing of all time — and reached more than 1.3 million people. And web traffic at NicoleGalloway.com nearly quadrupled on Monday.

MedEx Campaign Nears $10M Mark

It looks like the campaign to expand Medicaid has raised about $10 million.  The July finance filing of the campaign committee, Missourians for Healthcare, reported that it had raised $5,840,513.

Since July 1, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission website, there have been large contributions into the committee of over $4,000,000.

Senate 29: Cole Ad

In Senate 29, David Cole attacks Rep. Mike Moon’s voting record – and his non-endorsement of Donald Trump in 2016.  See it here.

“Career politician Mike Moon refused to endorsement President Trump in 2016… It’s David Cole who backed President Trump in 2016…”

Senate 3: Barrett Rallies With Mask-Freedom Folk

Joshua Barrett, running in a three-way Republican primary in Senate 3, worked the crowd assembled at the Jefferson County Health Department to protest a possible mask mandate.  See it here. 

Barrett is the Conservative Caucus candidate in the race.  Dennis Gannon, the husband of another candidate, Rep. Elaine Gannon, is the Jefferson County Executive.

Senate 5: Hummel Hats

On social media former Sen. Jake Hummel distinguishes between his different endorsement hats… Just an FYI. A flyer is going around from Steve Roberts that says Jacob hummel “President mo AFL-CIO” endorses him for Senate. I did endorse but as the 11th Ward Committeeman. Not as AFL President. Just to clarify.

House 147: Wallingford Bio Ad

Sen. Wayne Wallingford’s third radio ad focuses on his combat service in Vietnam.  Listen to it here.  Wallingford is running to return to the House (Swan seat) after eight years in the Senate, as Kevin Engler and Maria Chapelle Nadal did.

Taxpayers in Support of Public Education

Taxpayers in Support of Public Education appears to be a Missouri NEA vehicle as DeeAnn Aull’s signature appears on some of the committee’s paperwork.

The committee though has received generous funding from the Carpenters’ union - $200K.  And it has passed money along to two PACs allied with Senate candidates who are more friendly to the educational establishment.

·         $35,000 to Six County PAC (Pro-Elaine Gannon)

·         $100,000 to Conservative Leadership of the Ozarks (Pro-Karla Eslinger)

Galloway Helps House Dems

Nicole Galloway for Missouri gave $25K to the House Democratic Campaign Committee.  One Galloway booster says, “it shows an unselfishness as well as a willingness to invest in down ballot races that we haven't seen in a long time. It may not seem significant but it means she feels like she is going to have enough money to compete... It's a sign of growing confidence that this is a real race.”

Precedents from Pandering

Jim Layton, who worked for two decades in the Attorney General’s office, wrote an interesting thread on twitter about the peculiar nature of AG Eric Schmitt’s filing on behalf of the McCloskeys.  See it here.

·         [A]micus briefs by attorneys general are not unusual. I filed many of them for AGs Nixon and Koster. But amicus briefs are usually (always, in my experience) filed in support of something that is pending. If there were a motion pending to dismiss charges, AG Schmitt’s filing would fit that model. But there is no such motion. AG Schmitt is appearing as amicus to support the court doing something that no one has asked the court to do…

·         In MO (and most other states), the AG does not supervise prosecutors. He has no authority to tell them what to do/not do. But he does have the responsibility to defend appeals from felony verdicts. If a McCloskey is are convicted, it will fall to the AG to defend the conviction on appeal. And traditionally, MO AGs stand up for the jury verdict to the nth degree… Decisions by prior attorneys general to decline to defend an appeal, or to end opposition to a writ of habeas corpus, were agonizing. But they always came years into the process, with careful study of lengthy records--never at the outset of a prosecution. Has there ever been an instance when a MO AG in effect announced in advance, in court, that he will not defend a jury’s verdict, if there ultimately is one? Certainly not 1994-2016, when I was in the MO AG's office.

·         Third, where does this precedent lead? Logically, doesn't AG Schmitt now have to look at other cases for constitutional defenses, and file amicus briefs early in those as well?

And

From my ear-on-the-ground, finger-on-the-pulse brick house in south St. Louis City, I wonder if the Parson/Schmitt lovefest with the McCloskeys hasn’t firmed up some support for Kim Gardner.  Folks who were ready for a change and planning to vote for her opponent, Mary Pat Carl, might now decide they’ll stick with the one who gives the Trump followers fits.  We’ll see…

A More Aggressive Dept of Revenue?

The great Gerard Craft complains on Twitter…

·         Just informed that the State Of MO is auditing our sales, use, and withholding tax for the past 3yrs. Seriously @GovParsonMO we have paid our taxes religiously for the past 15yrs and you want to audit us during a pandemic while we are struggling just to stay above water?

·         Is MO really going after the hardest hit industry in the world right now?

Another restaurant chimed in it was also being audited.

And

Anecdotally these aren’t the only cases I’ve heard of recently of a seemingly more aggressive Department of Revenue…

NY Travel Advisory

Missouri was added to the list of states in New York’s travel advisory… See it here.

New York's travel advisory has been expanded to 31 states.  If you're traveling to NY from the following states you must self-quarantine for 14 days: AK, AL, AR, AZ, CA, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, LA, MD, MO…

New Committees

Marvin Fricke formed an exemption committee to run for House 115 as a Republican.

$5K+ Contributions

Mighty Missouri PAC - $6,000 from ARDA Resort Owners Coalition.

The Committee to Elect Richelle Christensen Grosvenor as Judge - $5,200 from Richelle Grosvenor.

Missouri First - $25,000 from Altria Client Services LLC.

A Better Missouri Political Action Committee - $75,000 from Anheuser-Busch Cos.

Conservative Leadership of the Ozarks - $100,000 from Taxpayers in Support of Public Education.

Conservative Leadership of the Ozarks - $10,000 from Howard Wood.

Team Robert PAC - $8,609 from Justice for All PAC.

Missouri Leadership Forum - $15,000 from T and N, Inc.

Missouri Leadership Forum - $15,000 from Site System Landscaping.

Democratic Governors Association - Missouri - $50,000 from Democratic Governors Association.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Rick Brattin (the big 4-0), Eileen McGeoghegan, and Jason Brown.