MOScout Weekender: Anti-Referendum Plays Hardball - Hallway Sees McCreery Getting A Pass - Who Won The Week and more…

Referendum Opponents Play Hardball

Missouri Independent reports on a federal lawsuit detailing the hardball (and potentially illegal-ball) tactic of referendum opponents...

The lawsuit says the defendants have “poached” 28 employees and illegally obtained proprietary information about workers and petition strategy...

“Defendants are offering the employees on this confidential list huge sums of money (some were offered up to $30,000) to resign their employment with AMT and provide ‘intelligence gathering’ services for defendants,” the lawsuit states…

The Advanced Micro Targeting lawsuit names as defendants Let the Voters Decide of Celebration, Florida, and Vortex Elite LLC, of Miami, Florida; Synergy Wise Solutions, which has no website that could be found and lists an address that is a Pakmail storefront in Tucson, Arizona; and Onest Marketing, which also does not have a website that could be found and lists an address in an apartment building on the ocean in Miami, Florida.

Earlier this week I reported on a $2 million infusion into an anti-referendum PAC, Put Missouri First.  I’d thought it was curious since “stopping the referendum is the key objective.  And I’m not sure how an extra million or two helps with that.” 

If the allegations of the lawsuit are correct and the defendants are being financed by Put Missouri First, that would answer this question.

Remington/MOScout Poll:

No poll this week.

MOScout’s Hallway Index: Vulnerable Incumbents

I asked lobbyists, “Who is the most vulnerable incumbent?”   20 replies…

RESULTS

1. Jill Carter… 70%

2. Tracy McCreery… 0%

3. Curtis Trent… 30%

4. Someone else… 0%

Sample of Comments

·       I’ll say Jill because she doesn’t have friends that will fundraise for her. Curtis and Tracy can raise gobs of money, but Jill doesn’t really have “pals”.

·       None of the choices are that vulnerable but if you have to pick one it comes down to who the opponent could be. Deaton would be well funded and a serious opponent.

·       Only bc Dirk will try to outflank her which seems to be a tactic that works in primaries in this area.

·       Just never know with rural Republican primaries, especially what's happening with national fractures like MTG and Trump. McCreery seems to be locked down with the right endorsements. Trent has been elected for a long time.

·       Should he decide to run, Dirk would have an unusual amount of support for someone primarying an incumbent, and Carter would be facing a much savvier candidate than Bill White.

·       Do the other two choices have a race???? Curtis will stick to SW Mo values and voters will have no reason to look elsewhere.

Who Won the Week?

Jon Patterson – His big kickoff this week showed impressive organizing skills and a whole lot of hustle.

Catalyst – The lobbying firm signs up a former speaker with an expertise in healthcare delivery just as a scramble for hundreds of millions of federal dollars gets underway.

Tracy McCreery – Her campaign continues chugging along without a peep from a potential challenger.  In this week’s Hallway Index, the lobbying corps doesn’t see her as re-election in any sort of danger.

Catherine Hanaway – Proving, like he predecessors, how well-positioned the AG’s office is for landing on the front page of newspapers.  Too early to start talking about Hanaway for Gov in 2032?

View a downloadable version here.

Gubby Appts

Governor Mike Kehoe announced two appointments…

·       Brooke Hurst, of St. Louis, was appointed as Associate Circuit Judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

·       Patrick Richmond, of St. Louis, was appointed as Circuit Judge in the 22nd Judicial Circuit.

eMailbag

Politicians since the founding of our country have always held one campaign principle close to their political strategy, bring capital, investment and jobs back to their district. I’m sure Senator Nicola (Independence) and the businesses in Senate District 11 appreciate the over 400 people that came to Senate District 11 at Jon Patterson’s request and spent thousands of dollars.

Speaker Jon Patterson is running for SENATE DISTRICT 8 !!

$5K+ Contributions

People Not Politicians - $300,000 from Tides Foundation (San Francisco, CA).

People Not Politicians - $10,000 from Judith Fiskin (Los Angeles, CA).

American Dream PAC (pro-Kehoe) - $10,000 from North Point Development, LLC.

Muhm for Judge - $20,000 from Tanya Muhm.

Birthdays

Happy birthdays to Marc Ellinger, and Therese Sander.

Sunday: Brian Bunten, Sam Wiles, and Cynthia Davis.