Category: St. Louis Area Politics

posts about elections, elected officials, legislation, policy, public meetings, public services in St. Louis Area but not St. Louis City

More Sinquefield Money to Nexus PAC

Man with giant green money bag

This is another update to Sinquefields Donate to Nexus PAC. Again dated 09/23/2025

Early in April, Nexus PAC gave another $2,000 to St. Louis City Board of Alders President Megan Green’s Progress PAC and $1,000 to MAGA Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins. But that isn’t the biggest news.

Nexus PAC received another $65,000 from billionaire Rex Sinquefield on June 18th. He used his 1,700 acre estate address in Westphalia, Osage County, Missouri, not his St. Louis City 8,320-square-foot mansion in Central West End address.

The day before the Sinquefield donation, Sinquefield aide Mary Ellen Ponder, former St. Louis City Mayor Francis Slay’s chief of staff, filed Missouri Future LLC with Missouri Ethics Commission for purposes of making campaign contributions.

Under Missouri law, LLCs must register with MEC before making campaign contributions.

Missouri Future is Sinquefield’s current stable of 27 lobbyists. Lobbying firms working for Sinquefield include Nexus Group, owner of Nexus PAC, Axiom Strategies, AxAdvocacy, First Capitol Advisors, Gamble & Schlemeier, Catalyst Group, Patek and Associates, The SwainGroup. These governmental relations firms include some of the most powerful former elected officials and most powerful names in lobbying at the State Capitol and local government halls.

Political Action Committees are legal money laundering organizations in Missouri. They are subject to limits on contributions to candidates but can and do spend unlimited amounts on Direct Expenditures (mailings, polling, media buys) that benefit candidates, have no limits on contributing or spending for ballot issues, and donate unlimited amounts to other PACs.

The Treasurer for Nexus PAC is attorney Matthew McBride. McBride also sits on a number of economic development boards for the City of St. Louis. He chairs the St. Louis City Port Authority Commission and also serves on the City’s St. Louis Development Corporation Board, Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, Planned Industrial Expansion Authority.

Nexus PAC has great influence over elected officials in St. Louis City and across Missouri, tho not as much as 21st Century St. Louis PAC owned Greater St. Louis.

STL City’s State Rep Murray Supports Data Centers

sweatshirt that says "COWARD"

March 19th, 2026, St. Louis City State Rep. Marty Joe Murray bravely *cough cough* sent a letter of neutrality (not really) on data centers to something called “the Zoning Committee” in Room 400 at City Hall.

He failed to cite the specific data center Conditional Use Permit before the City’s Zoning Section and Board of Public Service, a proposal for a hyperscale data center at the failed Armory redevelopment in Midtown.

The permit was applied for by Deadbeat Developer Phil Hulse, Greenstreet, who owes $3,095,346.08 in property taxes on the proposed data center site as well as Greenstreet’s headquarters (3660, 3728 & 3852 Market St., 500 Prospect & 4565 McRee).

Murray wrote, “Data centers are critical infrastructure for the modern economy. The question before us is not whether they should exist, but whether they will be built responsibly. We can welcome investment while still protecting the health, affordability, and stability of our neighborhoods.”

“I am not asking this committee to slow progress. I am asking that we guide it with intention. That we ensure the benefits are shared and the burdens are not unfairly imposed”

I have no idea how anyone reads those two paragraphs as other that support for data centers slathered in economic development bullshit but the City has his letter labeled as “neutral”.

The City’s bizarre Conditional Use Permit process involves a hearing before the Zoning Division followed by a vote of the Board of Public Service. Members of BPS are mayoral patronage cabinet level appointees who owe their jobs to Mayor Cara Spencer. BPS does not attend Zoning Division hearings.

The five hour Deadbeat Developer Data Center Hearing was held March 19th, same day as Murray’s letter is dated.

BPS will vote on the proposal at their Meeting at 1:45 pm Tuesday, March 31st. It is expected that they will rubberstamp the proposal.

As of 5 pm Monday, March 30th, no one has filed to run against Murray for the 78th District House seat. Tho I don’t know why anyone would. It’s a shitty time to be in the minority party in Missouri and Murray has lobbyist/PAC friends to fund his re-election campaign because he is a reliable vote.

Candidate filing for Missouri House and Senate occurs in Jefferson City. The Deadline for filing is 5 pm Tuesday, March 31st.

Page One, Letter from Stat Rep. Marty Joe Murray
Page two, letter from State Rep. Marty Joe Murray

More Developer Money to Nexus PAC

Man with giant green money bag

Nexus PAC received a $10,000 contribution on January 12, 2026, from developer Paric Holdings. The PAC is the legal money laundry for lobbyists at Nexus Group.

Some redevelopments in St. Louis City involving Paric include The Victor (Butler Brothers Building), One Cardinal Way luxury apartments,  Alexander Lofts luxury lofts, all in Downtown, and Robert Place Lofts (Enright School) and adjacent luxury homes in  Visitation Park. I believe all the projects involved corporate welfare.

The PAC is run by attorney Matthew McBride, who serves on many St. Louis City economic development boards that authorize corporate welfare.

Since 2023, Paric has sent $100,000 to Nexus PAC for redistribution, legal money laundering.

This is another update to Sinquefields Donate to Nexus PAC. Again. There is a running list of donors and beneficiaries (both St. Louis City and around the state and other state), at that link.

Nexus PAC Update

Man with giant green money bag

Sinquefields Donate to Nexus PAC. Again has been updated with additional information from Missouri Ethics Commission:

+ More Contributions TO Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green and St. Louis City Comptroller Donna Baringer

+ Contributions made TO dozens of elected officials outside of St. Louis City as well as other PACs

+ More Contributions received FROM developer McCormack Baron Salazar and airport concessionaire OHM KCI JA LLC

Also added a note about Nexus PAC Treasurer Matt McBride’s failure to recuse himeself from economic development board votes benefiting Nexus PAC donors.

Sinquefields Donate to Nexus PAC. Again

Man with giant green money bag

Update Posts
06/22/2026 More Sinquefield Money to Nexus PAC
04/10/2026 Downtown Alders Get More Money From Nexus PAC
01/14/2026 More Developer Money to Nexus PAC
01/10/2026 Nexus PAC Update. Money to Bosley Charity Intrigue.
11/28/2025 Nexus PAC Update

Free market, anti tax, school privatization evangelists and high roller campaign contributors Rex and Jeannne Sinquefield made a $25,000 donation this week to Nexus PAC (not their first), the legal campaign money laundry for Nexus Group, a prominent lobbying shop in Missouri.

Some of Nexus Group’s current and past clients include various school privatization organizations (that’s probably what the Sinquefield money is for), Airbnb Inc, and developers.

But wait. There’s more.

The Treasurer for Nexus PAC is attorney Matthew McBride. McBride also sits on a number of economic development boards for the City of St. Louis. He chairs the St. Louis City Port Authority Commission and also serves on the City’s St. Louis Development Corporation Board, Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board, Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority, Planned Industrial Expansion Authority.

Preservation Square redeveloper McCormack Baron Salazar is a donor to Nexus PAC but McBride failed to abstain or recuse himself on economic development board votes relating to Preservation Square.

These are powerful entities that authorize corporate welfare for developments. Sometimes these boards act on their own and sometimes what they adopt then goes on to the Board of Alders for approval. Sometimes these boards grant more incentives after Alders have acted, a breathtaking lack of transparency.

Clear to a lot of us who follow the corporate welfare sausage making machine in St. Louis, the treasurer of a PAC that legally launders money from developers, someone who writes campaign checks to City elected officials, should not be appointed to boards, let alone boards with elected officials as members, with millions of dollars in incentives for developers on the table.

But here we are. No one at City Hall seems to see a problem with all this conflict of interest.

The only thing that makes sense, sadly, in all this is Rex Sinquefield donating a lot of money to a PAC for lobbyists who not only represent school privatization interests but also developers who seek tax abatement, which is taking money away from public school kids who Sinquefield despises.

2023-January 2026 Nexus PAC Funders
06/18/2026 $65,000 from billionaire Rex Sinquefield
03/06/2026 $1,000 McCormack Baron Salazar (developer)
02/24/2026 $10,000 DeepRun Inc (developer, owned by Paric’s P. Joseph McKee III, Paul McKee’s son)
02/13/2026 $1,000 McCormack Baron Salazar (developer)
01/17/2026 $2,000 Shelter Mutual Insurance, Columbia MO
01/14/2026 $4,000 Shelter Mutual Insurance, Columbia MO
01/12/2026 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
01/09/2026 $4,000 Shelter Mutual Insurance, Columbia MO
01/05/2026 $9,400 Pharmaceutical Care Management Assn (Washington DC)
10/07/2025 $10,000 McCormack Baron Salazar (developer)
09/29/2025 $10,000 OHM KCI JA LLC (airport concessions)
09/23/2025 $25,000 Rex and Jeannne Sinquefield
07/29/2025 $20,000 Nexus Group
05/21/2025 $5,000 McCormack Baron Salazar (developer)
03/28/2025 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
02/24/2025 $2,500 OHM KCI JA LLC (airport concessions)
10/29/2024 $40,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
09/30/2024 $16,000 Rex and Jeannne Sinquefield
09/12/2024 $1,000 Invenergy Transmission
09/12/2024 $2,000 Invenergy Transmission
08/12/2024 $6,000 Invenergy Transmission
07/31/2024 $1,000 Invenergy Transmission
07/19/2024 $10,000 Nexus Group
02/07/2024 $2,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO
02/01/2024 $4,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO
01/25/2024 $4,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO
12/18/2023 $6,000 Invenergy Transmission
12/11/2023 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
12/05/2023 $2,000 Nexus Group
11/28/2023 $10,000 Nexus Group
11/13/2023 $15,000 Rex and Jeannne Sinquefield
09/26/2023 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
06/16/2023 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
05/05/2023 $10,000 Paric Holdings (developer)
03/20/2023 $2,000 McCormack Baron Salazar (developer)
02/09/2023 $2,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO
01/27/2023 $4,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO
01/25/2023 $4,000 Shelter Insurance, Columbia MO

2023-January 2026 Nexus PAC Contributions to St. Louis City Electeds
04/03/2026 $2,000 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
03/24/2026 $500 St. Louis City Alder Rasheen Aldridge
03/19/2026 $500 St. Louis City Alder Jami Cox Antwi
03/11/2026 $1,000 Congressman Wesley Bell
02/25/2026 $500 Recorder of Deeds Mike Butler
01/05/2026 $500 St. Louis City State Rep Marty Joe Murray
10/02/2025 $1,000 Communities First (charity run by Lucinda Frazier, mother of St. Louis City State Rep LaKeySha Bosley and former Alder Brandon Bosley, charity is same address as both their campaign accounts)
10/02/2025 $500 St. Louis City State Rep Nick Kimble
09/30/2025 $2,500 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
09/29/2025 $1,600 St. Louis City Comptroller Donna Baringer
06/26/2025 $1,000 St. Louis City Comptroller Donna Baringer
06/17/2025 $2,500 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
05/07/2025 $2,500 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
04/02/2025 $500 St. Louis City Alder Shane Cohn
03/31/2025 $5,000 A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC, St. Louis City Mayor Cara Spencer
02/28/2025 $2,500 314 Forward PAC, former St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones
02/25/2025 $5,000 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
01/23/2025 $500 St. Louis City Treasurer Adam Layne
01/16/2025 $1000 St. Louis City Alder Anne Schweitzer
10/29/2024 $5,000 Progress PAC, St. Louis City Board President Megan Green
10/29/2024 $2,000 St. Louis City Board Prez Megan Green
10/29/2024 $1,000 St. Louis City Alder Shane Cohn
10/29/2024 $1,000 St. Louis City Alder Daniela Velazquez
10/07/2024 $500 St. Louis City State Rep Marty Joe Murray
10/07/2024 $2,400 accused rapist and St. Louis City State Senator Steven Roberts Jr
12/27/2023 $1000 St. Louis City Alder Daniela Velazquez
12/04/2023 $5,000 STL Democratic Coalition, appears to be connected to accused rapist and St. Louis City State Senator Steven Roberts Jr, former State Rep Wiley Price, former Sheriff Vernon Betts; $60,893.08 on hand
04/07/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Pam Boyd
03/24/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Laura Keys
03/05/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Rasheen Aldridge
02/23/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Shameem Clark-Hubbard

2023-January 2026 Nexus PAC Contributions to candidates and PACs elsewhere in Missouri and other states
04/02/2026 $1000 MAGA Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskins
03/17/2026 $500 Lebanon City Councilman Jaret Scharnhorst (former staffer for State Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman)
03/06/2026 $500 St. Louis County Prosecutor Melissa Price Smith
02/16/2026 $500 St. Louis County Councilwoman Lisa Clancy
01/16/2026 $5,000 STLCO PAC
01/12/2026 $500 St. Louis County State Rep Marla Smith
01/09/2026 $1,000 Heartland United PAC (Kansas City)
01/05/2026 $400 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Nick Schroer
01/05/2026 $500 MAGA Pike Lincoln Values Fund
01/05/2026 $500 MAGA St. Louis County State Rep Philip Oehlerking
01/05/2026 $500 MAGA St. Louis County State Rep Brad Christ
01/05/2026 $1,000 MAGA Greene County State Rep Alex Riley
01/05/2026 $1,000 MAGA Bates County State Rep Dane Diehl
01/05/2026 $1,000 MAGA St. Louis County State Senator David Gregory
01/05/2026 $2,000 MAGA Jackson/Cass Counties State Rep Jon Patterson
01/05/2026 $2,400 MAGA Greene County State Senator Curtis Trent
12/18/2025 $2,000 MAGA Hannibal State Rep Chad Perkins
11/12/2025 $750 MAGA Jackson County State Rep Mike Steinmeyer
11/12/2025 $1,400 St. Louis County State Senator Tracy McCreery
11/05/2025 $1,000 Columbia, South Carolina, City Councilman Sam Johnson
10/22/2025 $500 MAGA Cass County State Rep Sherri Gallick
10/02/2025 $2,000 MAGA Jackson County State Rep Ron Fowler
10/02/2025 $500 MAGA Springfield State Rep Bill Owen
09/30/2025 $2,000 St. Louis County State Senator Brian Williams
09/30/2025 $500 St. Louis County State Rep Raychel Proudie
09/29/2025 $1,000 Atlanta GA Mayor Andre Dickens
09/04/2025 $2,000 MAGA Warren County State Rep Jeff Myers
08/27/2025 $2,400 Conservative Solutions for Missouri PAC, MAGA Jefferson County State Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman (now owns a $1.9M home in Central West End, St. Louis City)
08/27/2025 $2,400 Boone County State Senator Steve Webber
08/27/2025 $2,400 MAGA Scott County State Senator Jamie Burger
08/27/2025 $2,400 MAGA Cole County State Senator Jake Vogel
08/27/2025 $2,400 MAGA St. Francois County State Senator Mike Henderson 
08/27/2025 $2,400 MAGA 1776 PAC
08/27/2025 $2,400 MAGA  Pettis County State Rep Brad Pollitt, now candidate for State Senate
08/27/2025 $1,000 Boone County Commissioner Kip Kendrick, former State Rep
08/27/2025 $1,000 MAGA Lake of the Ozarks State Rep Jeff Vernetti ( also a developer)
08/27/2025 $1,000 MAGA Mid-Missouri Conservative PAC
08/27/2025 $1,000 MAGA Dunklin County State Rep Cameron Bunting Parker
08/27/2025 $1,000 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Travis Wilson
08/27/2025 $1,000 MAGA Butler County State Rep Hardy Billington
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Dave Hinman
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Terri Violet
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA Cass County State Rep Bill Irwin
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA Clay County State Rep  Mark Meirath
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA Jefferson County State Rep Cecelie Williams
08/27/2025 $500 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Scott Miller
03/31/2025 $1,250 Kansas City Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw, candidate for KC Mayor
01/09/2025 $2,400 MAGA Jefferson County State Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman
11/22/2024 $500 MAGA Lake of the Ozarks State Rep. Jeff Vernetti (also a developer)
10/29/2024 $2,825 MAGA Governor Mike Kehoe
10/18/2024 $2,000 MAGA St. Louis County State Rep Brad Christ
10/07/2024 $2,500 Homefront PAC, Boone County State Senator Steve Webber
10/07/2024 $2,400 MAGA Linvingston County State Senator Rusty Black
10/07/2024 $2,000 Great Northwest PAC (MAGA Livingston County State Senator Rusty Black)
10/07/2024 $2,400 St. Louis County State Senator Doug Beck
10/07/2024 $2,000 DougPAC, St. Louis County State Senator Doug Beck
09/26/2024 $500 Jesus Oset, failed MAGA candidate for Boone County Circuit Judge
09/18/2025 $250 St. Louis County State Rep Mark Boyco
09/18/2025 $500 St. Louis City State Rep Nick Kimble
09/11/2024 $2,000 Kansas City State Rep Ashley Aune
09/03/2024 $2,400 MAGA Stone County MAGA State Senator Brad Hudson
09/03/2024 $2,400 MAGA St. Charles County State Senator Adam Schnelting
08/12/2024 $500 152 Freedom PAC (could not find this in MEC database, address is a UPS store in Poplar Bluff, probably related to MAGA State Rep Hardy Billington)
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Jasper County State Rep Lane Roberts
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Hannibal State Rep Louis Riggs
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Jefferson County State Rep Renee Reuter
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Kansas City State Rep Sean Pouche
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Lincoln County State Rep Doyle Justus
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Clay & Platte Counties State Rep Josh Hurlbert
08/09/2024 $1,000 MAGA Jasper & Newton Counties State Rep Bob Bromley
07/23/2024 $2,400 MAGA Ozark County former State Rep Travis Smith
07/19/2024 $825 MAGA Jasper County former State Rep Cody Smith
07/19/2024 $1,500 America Forward
07/10/2024 $1,000 MAGA Reynolds County former State Rep Chris Dodson Dinkins
07/10/2024 $1,000 MAGA Scott County State Senator Jamie Burger
07/10/2024 $1,000 MAGA Newton & McDonald Counties State Rep Dirk Deaton
07/10/2024 $2,400 Jackson County Leadership PAC, MAGA State Senator Mike Cierpiot
07/10/2024 $2,400 MAGA St. Francoise County State Senator Mike Henderson
07/10/2024 $2,400 Kansas City State Senator Patty Lewis
07/10/2024 $500 MAGA St. Charles County State Rep Travis Wilson
07/10/2024 $500 MAGA Jefferson County State Rep David Casteel
07/10/2024 $500 MAGA Warren County State Rep Jeff Meyers
07/10/2024 $500 Kansas City State Rep Wick Thomas
07/08/2024 $1,000 North County Solidarity PAC (Walton Family- Elbert, Rochelle)
12/23/2023 $2,500 MAGA former Attorney General Andrew Bailey
12/04/2023 $5,000 DougPAC, St. Louis County State Senator Doug Beck
12/04/2023 $5,000 B PAC, St. Louis County State Senator Brian Williams
11/16/2023 $500 MAGA Greene, Christian and Webster Counties State Rep Darin Chappell
11/16/2023 $1,000 Kansas City Councilwoman Ryana Parks-Shaw, candidate for KC Mayor
11/16/2023 $1,000 St. Louis County State Senator Tracy McCreery
11/16/2023 $1000 MAGA Warren County State Rep Jeff Meyers
11/16/2023 $1000 MAGA St. Louis County former State Rep John Diehl
11/16/2023 $2,400 Clay County State Senator Maggie Nurrenbern
11/16/2023 $2,000 Eastside Forward PAC, Kansas City State Senator Barbara Anne Washington
11/16/2023 $2,000 MAGA St. Charles County State Senator Nick Schroer
11/16/2023 $2,000 MAGA Clay and Ray Counties former State Rep Doug Richey
11/16/2023 $2,000 MAGA Saline County State Senator Kurtis Gregory
11/16/2023 $2,500 Missouri United, former St. Louis County MAGA State Rep Dean Plocher
11/16/2023 $2,500 Lincoln PAC, MAGA Springfield State Senator Lincoln Hough
11/16/2023 $2,825 MAGA Buchanan and Platte Counties State Senator Tony Luetkemeyer
10/09/2023 $500 MAGA St. Charles State Rep Travis Wilson
10/06/2023 $1,000 Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s campaign for Mayor of Houston
09/28/2023 $2,500 Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s campaign for Mayor of Houston
09/14/2023 $2,500 MAGA Springfield State Senator Lincoln Hough
09/06/2023 $1,000 MAGA former Independence State Rep Robert Sauls
09/06/2023 $1000 MAGA Hannibal State Rep Louis Riggs
09/06/2023 $1000 MAGA Kansas City State Rep Sean Pouche
09/06/2023 $1,000 MAGA Clay & Platte Counties State Rep Josh Hurlbert
08/29/2023 $1,000 North County Solidarity PAC (Walton Family- Elbert, Rochelle)
08/29/2023 $1,000 Six County PAC, MAGA pac based in St. Francois County, helped elect Elaine Gannon to Missouri Senate
08/02/2023 $1,000 MAGA Springfield State Rep Alex Riley
08/02/2023 $500 MAGA Dunklin County State Rep Cameron Bunting Parker
08/02/2023 $500 MAGA Lee’s Summit State Rep Jon Patterson
06/25/2023 $1,000 Kansas City Councilwoman Melissa Patterson Hazley
05/16/2023 $1,000 Kansas City State Senator Barbara Washington
05/08/2023 $2,500 MAGA former Attorney General Andrew Bailey
05/04/2023 $2,500 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson
03/24/2023 $500 former Bellefontaine Neighbors Mayor Tommie Pierson Sr
01/26/2023 $2,400 Columbia State Senator Steve Webber
12/27/2022 $2,500 Page PAC, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page

Returned or Not Delivered Nexus PAC Donations
11/19/2025 $1000 St. Louis County Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert (reported 02/25/2026)
10/03/2025 $250 Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (reported 02/25/2026)
09/30/2025 $2,000 St. Louis County State Senator Tracy McCreery (reported 01/06/2026)
10/29/2024 $2,825 MAGA former Attorney General Andrew Bailey (reported 07/14/2025)
10/07/2024 $1,900 Boone County State Senator Steve Webber (reported 10/10/2025)
07/08/2024 $1,500 St. Louis City Alder Shameem Clark-Hubbard (reported 07/14/2025)
09/26/2024 $500 Columbia State Rep Steve Webber (reported 12/02/2024)
01/08/2024 $2,175 MAGA former Attorney General Andrew Bailey (reported 04/05/2024)
12/21/2023 $2,825 MAGA Jasper County former State Rep Cody Smith (reported 07/26/2024)
11/16/2023 $2,000 MAGA Livingston County State Senator Rusty Black (reported 07/26/2024)
11/16/2023 $2,000 MAGA Callaway County State Senator Travis Fitzwater (reported 07/26/2024)
10/12/2023 $5,000 United We Stand PAC, connected to Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas (reported 01/16/2024)
10/31/2023 $2,400 MAGA State Rep, unsuccessful Secretary of State candidate Dean Plocher (reported 01/16/2024)
09/28/2023 $1,000 St. Louis County Executive Sam Page (reported 07/26/2024)
09/28/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Daniela Velazquez (reported 01/16/2024)
09/12/2023 $1000 Tri-County PAC, not listed in MEC database, might be Professional Firefighters of Tri-County PAC, (reported 01/16/2024)
02/21/2023 $500 St. Louis City Alder Pam Boyd (reported 04/17/2023)
03/09/2022 $1000 ATL for All (reported 02/27/2023)
06/16/2022 $500 MAGA former Caldwell County State Rep Randy Railsback (reported 02/27/2023)
11/28/2022 $1,000 MAGA St. Charles County State Senator Nick Schroer

Say No to More Corporate Welfare for Anheuser-Busch

Man with giant green money bag

Last Updated 8:17 pm January 30, 2025

It’s not that a $85.55 Billion company like Anheuser-Busch needs corporate welfare. It just wants it.

For the third time in six years, I’m not digging back further, the Soulard based brewery since 1852, is asking for favors from the St. Louis City Board of Alders.

They are inclined to do so because they like the company’s lobbyists, the co-dependent unions , the campaign money. Good v. Bad public policy never enters the picture.

Board Bill 161, by Alder Cara Spencer, who is running for Mayor, gives the company
💰$41 Million in industrial revenue bonds for equipment purchase
💰10 years of 50% personal property tax abatement on the equipment and other
personal property

Per the Community Benefits Scorecard by St. Louis Development Corporation, the City’s corporate welfare umbrella agency, the brewery is located “in an area of high need and opportunity.” Soulard and adjacent Benton Park are affluent neighborhoods.

The company doesn’t need the help. It just wants it and feckless Alders will likely vote to give it to them, just like they always do for corporate welfare proposals.

The latest corporate welfare for the company will likely have its first vote at Board of Alders, the Perfection vote, on Friday, January 31st. Contact Board President Megan Green and your Alder and urge them to vote No on Board Bill 161.

The last meeting of the Board before Election break is currently February 7th.

Prior to the July 2008 InBev takeover of Anheuser-Busch, the brewery had 5,000 employees in the St. Louis area. By 2010, InBev had laid off thousands. A next door neighbor in Soulard was one of them. He was a third-generation brewery employee. Like his father and grandfather, he walked to work. Unlike them, he graduated from college and went to work for the brewery in a white-collar job. Our neighbor ended up moving to St. Charles for work.

In March 2019, Alders rewarded Anheuser-Busch with
💰$75 Million in industrial revenue bonds for equipment
💰 Two 5 years of 75%personal property tax abatement

The votes on Board Bill 177 are missing from the Board of Alders Votes on 2018-2019 bills. Sponsor of the bill was Alder Dan Guenther. He now works as Legislative Assistant to Alder Cara Spencer, candidate for Mayor.

In December 2019, Alders gave the company
💰$100 Million in industrial revenue bonds for, mostly, equipment purchase but also some real estate improvements
💰5 years of 50% real property tax abatement
💰5 years of 75% personal property tax abatement
💰Sales and Use Tax exemption on the purchase of construction materials

Sponsor of that bill was, again, Alder Guenther, who now works for Alder Spencer. The vote on Board Bill 155 was 22 Aye, 0 No, 5 Absent, 2 did not vote.

Alders still on the Board who voted for this 2019 corporate welfare: now Board President Megan Green, Pam Boyd, Brett Narayan, Cara Spencer, Tom Oldenburg, Joe Vollmer, Sharon Tyus.

Aside from Spencer running for higher office, none of these Alders is on the March or April ballot because it’s an odd numbered ward election and they represent even numbered wards or, in the case of Vollmer, not seeking re-election.

Aye votes no longer Alders but now working at the Board, in addition to Guenther: Marlene Davis, now Legislative Assistant to Alder Laura Keyes, and Christine Ingrassia, now Director of Operations for Board President Green.

Anheuser-Busch is located in Soulard but not a part of the neighborhood’s Special Business District (property tax funding private police and surveillance cameras) or Community Improvement District (sales tax for traffic calming, dog poo bags, trash pick-up…). Soulard CID recently sought inclusion of the brewery during its expansion petition drive but the brewery declined.

The company received a liquor license from the City for its Biergarten and now competes with Soulard and Benton Park bars and restaurants for customers. It contributes to neighborhood litter and safety issues but does not contribute to the neighborhood’s tax districts charged with providing additional services for such concerns.

In August 2024, Anheuser-Busch requested a $262,000 Missouri Sales Tax Refund.

In 2012, the City of Arnold and Jefferson County gave 20 years property tax abatement to Anheuser-Busch’s Metal Container Corp over objections by the local school district dependent on property taxes.

Anheuser-Busch doesn’t like paying taxes. But taxes pay for public services and it’s not the responsibility of everyone else to pick up the tab for public services used by a $85.55 Billion company

Tell Alders to make Anheuser-Busch pay their share.

Below: text of Gerry “Sunshine Gerry” Connolly’s letter to St. Louis City Board of Estimate and Apportionment (Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darelene Green, Board President Megan Green) asking them to vote No on Board Bill 161. The Board of E&A voted 3-0 to support the corporate welfare.

Honorable Members of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment,

Request to vote NO on Board Bill 161. 1/29/25 Board of E and A meeting (agenda Item 2; bonds for Anheuser-Busch project)

Please vote no on Board Bill no. 161. The proposed incentive (Net Present Value = $1.19 Million fails the “but for” test. Anheuser-Busch simply doesn’t require the incentive to implement its project. At the HUDZ hearing on BB 161, Anheuser-Busch’s lobbyist constructed a flimsy narrative that A-B could select an existing A-B facility in another city for the project.

The procedure defined in Ordinance no. 71620 for SLPS to review the project was not properly documented in SLDC’s Developer Proposal Report (DPR) contained in BB 161. The DPR was not available to the public before the HUDZ Public Hearing; members of the HUDZ committee received the DPR via email from SLDC 13 minutes before the hearing started. The BOA has not been able to conduct robust due-diligence on BB 161.

A study cited by the Post-Dispatch estimated that a 30 second ad in the Superbowl costs $7M. The value of the tax break in BB 161 equates to 5 seconds of advertising time at the Superbowl.

Who loses out if BB 161 is approved? St. Louis Public Schools, the City of St. Louis (General Revenue) and multiple taxing districts.

Anheuser-Busch should pay its fair share in taxes, just like the majority of St. Louis residents and businesses.

I urge you to vote no on BB 161.

Thanks for your consideration.

Gerry Connolly

Ward Profiles Updated

Old black and white photo of St. Louis City Hall

As St. Louis City election returns come in, you can check your ward to see who legally bought access to the Board President and your new Alder here.

Campaign finance laws are completely useless under a system that allows legal money laundering, and makes conflict of interest laws a moot point, and a culture of ignoring the ethical lapses of leaders in order to feel like part of a winning team.

Ward Profiles & Future Alder Money Updates

The New Ward Profiles have been updated with last day candidate filings for Alders.

Next week, they will be updated for new committee activity at Missouri Ethics Commission and some other tidying up.

New Ward Profiles WILL be updated for candidate campaign report information after one or more of the following:

  • January Quarterly Report: Due January 17th. Optional for all committees. The closing date for this report was December 31st. Any money raised after that date will not be reported in January Quarterly. Again, it’s each committee’s decision on whether to make a January Report
  • And/Or 40 Days Before Election Report: Due January 26th. Required only if committee 1) accepted contributions (money or in-kind), 2) had expenses (paid or incurred), or 3) donated to another committee. The closing date for this report is January 21st.
  • And/Or 8 Days Before Election Report: Due February 27th. Required only if committee 1) had expenses (paid or incurred) or 2) donated to another committee. The closing date for this report is February 23rd.
  • And/Or 30 Day After Election Report: Due March 6th. The closing date is March 1st. Required only if the committee had expenses (paid or incurred) or made contributions to other committees. The closing date for this report is March 1st.

The New Ward Profiles WILL NOT be updated with:

  • 48 Hour Report of Contribution over $5,000: Due within 48 Hours after receipt.
  • 24 Hour Notice of Late Contribution Over $250 Received Less Than 12 Days Before Election: Due within 24 Hours after receipt.
  • 24 Hour Late Expenditure Report by Continuing Committees (PACs including ward committees): Due within 24 Hours after paid or incurred.

These contributions and expenditures reported in these filings are included in the next report filed by the committee. There are too many candidates in this election cycle for one person (me) to keep up with these kinds of filings.

Also

The smaller the political subdivision, the more likely a candidate will file late reports (and pay fines for it) or incorrect reports that are later amended. Committees also play the didn’t get a bill until after the election game where expenses are reported after the election.

Board Prez, Alder Candidate Deadline Next Friday

Vote Run Lead

The Deadline in St. Louis City to file for Board President or Alder is 5 pm Friday, January 6th.

Here are the qualifications and requirements.

A candidate for Board of Alder President must be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 5 years, St. Louis City resident for at least 5 years, an assessed City taxpayer for at least 2 years, and must not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime.

A candidate for Alder must be at least 25 years of age, a U.S. citizen for at least 5 years, St. Louis City resident for at least 3  years, a resident of the ward from which elected for at least one year, an assessed City taxpayer for at least 2 years, and must not have been convicted of malfeasance in office, bribery or other corrupt practice or crime.

✔️ All candidates for City office will need petition signatures for Certificate of Nomination.

✔️ All candidates must obtain a receipt from City Treasurer for payment of a filing fee  equal to 1% of the salary of the office sought.

✔️ All candidates must obtain a Statement of Tax Clearance– confirmation the candidate  is not delinquent in the payment of city taxes and water and refuse bills- from City Collector of Revenue.

Candidates must take their Certificate of Nomination, receipt for payment of filing fee, and Statement of Tax Clearance to the Board of Election to file by the deadline.

✔️ Candidates must also file campaign finance reports with Missouri Ethics Commission.

Also see Board of Election Candidate Filing Information.

Check out the fourteen New Ward Profiles- current officeholders, candidates, a much more, here.