MOScout Daily Update: Parson on Plocher - Boyd Calls for Resignation - Diamond Pet Food for Kehoe - Mann Won't Run Again and more...
Parson: “Too Early” To Tell If Plocher Should Resign
Mark Maxwell asked Governor Mike Parson if Speaker Dean Plocher’s repaying his double-dipping was enough or if he should resign. See the answer here.
I don’t know all the details other than what I’m reading with you guys, but he needs to pay it back. If he owes the money, he needs to pay it back and he needs get it straight.
He needs to tell what happened, and that’s the only thing you can do. He needs to tell the truth and do what’s right after that. So I don’t know where that ends or where it goes. But right now from what I do know it sounds like he’s paying it back, from what I do know, and he needs to figure out if he’s going to have the trust of the people. I don’t know yet. I think it’s too early to tell that.
Meanwhile
It’s not too early for Rep. Mazzie Boyd. She became the first house Republican to call for Plocher’s resignation. Read it here.
On the one hand, she’s a bit of a maverick and doesn’t bring a posse of folks with her.
On the other hand, the first call is the hardest one to make.
And
One critical point in Plocher’s story that folks aren’t buying: that he or his wife found the “error” rather than having been caught. Listen to Bill Eigel address this on a podcast here.
Eigel: It was repetitive behavior and he made no move to reconcile it until he was caught by an article that was forthcoming from the Missouri Independent. That is the definition of the swamp…
Host: He says that he found the mistake immediately and paid it back. What do you make of that statement?
Eigel: [Laughing] I think when it was brought to his attention that he was caught red handed by the reporter that was actually putting together the story and asked him for his take on it then all of the sudden, yeah, he was interested in paying the dollars back… I have no idea how repeated mistakes like this could occur. I’ve been in the Senate 7 years now. I have never once tried to get a reimbursement from the taxpayers on any travel that I do… I can’t put into my mind how he wouldn’t have known it was going on and how suddenly thousands of extra dollars are showing up in his personal bank account and he just didn’t know… That’s insane.
Kehoe Lands Big Check
American Dream PAC, the pro-Mike Kehoe PAC, recorded a $250,000 contribution from SNK Real Property Holdings LLC. SNK Real Property Holdings appears to be an entity of the Schell and Kampeter families which own Diamond Pet Food. They’re located in Meta Missouri, a small town about a half hour south of Jeff City.
Kehoe continues to extend his money lead over his gubernatorial rivals.
· This brings his PAC’s current quarter’s large contributions to over $550,000. That compares to $50,000 for Jay Ashcroft’s PAC, and $10,000 for Bill Eigel’s PAC.
Mann Won’t Run Again
Rep. Doug Mann, a Democrat representing Columbia, said he will not be seeking re-election. See the story here.
The first-term lawmaker said he suffers from chronic treatment-resistant depression and has been able to keep it under control through therapy and medication. However, he said over the past several months, those treatments have stopped working.
· Mann beat Republican James Musgraves 55%-45% in 2022.
Rumorville: Dems Recruiting Against Bush?
Congresswoman Cori Bush’s unpopular stance on the Israeli-Hamas war is increasing the chatter about Democrats finding someone to primary her. Two names I’ve heard in recent days who are fielding calls from folks asking them to take a look at the race…
· St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. He’s currently in a three-way Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. But he was in DC this week where I’m told that the topic came up.
· Former Rep. Clem Smith. Smith is an intriguing name because he was an aircraft assembly mechanic for Boeing for many years. Bush having voted against defense budgets which Boeing relies on might be a reason for Boeing execs to back a Smith candidacy.
Murray for House 80
Murray for Missouri was formed. It’s a candidate committee for Ben Murray. He’s running for House 80 as a Democrat. This a safe Democratic seat (Biden +65%) in the City of St. Louis where Rep. Peter Merideth is term-limited.
Murray is a long time Dem politico. He’s a veteran of Megan Green, Jason Kander and Tishaura Jones campaigns, but just as importantly, he’s worked as a legislative assistant in the building since 2020 for Reps. Phifer, Gunby and Appelbaum.
· As a heavy Dem district, there’ll likely be a primary. One other name mentioned as potentially running is Elizabeth Fuchs (see bio here) who previously worked in public policy for PROMO.
Aboussie to White House
NYTimes reports that Joyce Aboussie “was among the 300 guests to the state dinner hosted by President Biden for Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia on Wednesday night.”
eMailbag on Plocher
No doubt, if Plocher’s double-dipping is proven, he should go. But Republicans’ hypocrisy knows no bounds. A man already found guilty of corporate fraud, fraud on a charity, and liable for raping and defaming a woman; and indicted on numerous other charges - gee, let’s make him president of our country.
$5K+ Contributions
American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $250,000 from SNK Real Property Holdings LLC.
H-PAC (pro-Houx) - $10,000 from PENN Entertainment Inc (Wyomissing, PA).
NEMO Leadership PAC (pro-O’Laughlin) - $10,000 from Penn Entertainment Inc (Wyomissing, PA).
Uniting Missouri PAC (pro-Parson) - $7,500 from Jeff Tegethoff.
Uniting Missouri PAC - $7,500 from Douglas Albrecht.
SEIU HCII Mssouri PAC - $50,000 from SEIU Healthcare IL.
MoCannTrade PAC - $10,000 from GL Partners Inc (Overland Park, KS).
Forward Jackson County - $25,000 from Heavy Constructors Association Industry Advancement Fund.
Birthdays
Happy birthdays to Rep. Ken Waller, Freddy Barnes, Lauren Hieger, and Jennifer Bukowsky.