Tag: A Brighter Future for St. Louis PAC

More Data Center Money Went to Mayor Spencer

Man with giant green money bag

On February 22nd, Rodney H. Thomas, of Armory data center developer THO Investments, donated $12,500 to Spencer’s PAC.

In addition to data center developer Jerald Kent donating $80,000 over the past two years to 21st Century St. Louis PAC, the legal money laundry for Greater St. Louis, he made donations to other campaign committees.

On February 20th of this year, twelve days before the St. Louis City mayoral primary election, Kent gave $25,000 to A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC, the pac for now Mayor Cara Spencer. That money helped fund media buys, negative advertising against incumbent Mayor Tishaura Jones.

As earlier reported, he also donated the max of $2,600 to the then 8th Ward Alder and candidate for Mayor on the same day.

Kent is the Chairman and CEO of Tierpoint and Cequel 3, data center developers. It’s highly likely Kent and/or his attorneys influenced, if not actually the author or put stamp of approval on, Mayor Spencer’s  Executive Order 92 on data centers.

Transparency Fail. Spencer’s PAC also received $4,000 on March 31st from John M Baragiola III, his occupation/employer is identified on the April quarterly campaign report as “NA/ — Retired.” Baragiola is actually President and owner of Falcon Technologies, a company that sells materials for IT infrastructure. He also gets farm subsidies.

Campaign $ and Millennium Hotel Deal

Cha Ching graphic with floating paper money

March 10th , 2025, A Brighter Future for St Louis PAC received $50,000 from The Lamar Johnson Collaborative, the architectural firm now working with Bob Clark’s Clayco and Gateway Arch Park Foundation on redevelopment of former Millennium Hotel. It’s Mayor Cara Spencer’s PAC, a way around campaign finance contribution limits.

Clayco contributed a total of $130,674.60 to the PAC in January-February. Those monies helped fund mailings produced by Mike Kelley‘s Show Me Victories and negative media against then Mayor Tishuara Jones.

Clark donated the maximum $2,600 to both Spencer and now Comptroller Donna Baringer this year. But he also donated $10,000 February 25th to 71 Percent PAC run by Kelley Group/Show Me Victories, political consultants.

The 71 Percent PAC paid $77,897.24 to Show Me Victories for digital ads and mailings supporting and opposing candidates. It supported the election of Spencer and Baringer as well as re-election of 11th Ward Alder Laura Keyes and losing 7th Ward Alder candidate Cedric Redmond. It opposed the re-election of Mayor Jones and Comptroller Darlene Green as well as 7th Alder Alisha Sonnier.

Board Bill Number 39 In Session 2025-2026 Chapter 99 Redevelopment Plan for 200 South 4th St. Redevelopment Area Summary This Board Bill seeks to approve a Chapter 99 Redevelopment Plan and Blighting Study for the 200 South 4th St. Redevelopment Area. The proposed Bill also allows for use of eminent domain within the area for all properties. This Board Bill will allow for up to a 20-year tax abatement at 90 percent.

In 2019, then Alder Spencer co-sponsored Charter amendments against concealment of campaign donor true identity ( Board Bill 41) and against candidates accepting funds from donors seeking City contracts (Board Bill 40). Neither made it to the ballot.

In September, the Board of Alders passed and Spencer signed a redevelopment plan for Millennium Hotel. Board Bill 39 provides for 20 years of tax abatement (making St. Louis public school children pay for redevelopment), per Bill Summary on City website as of 12/29/2025, on the project as well as eminent domain use.

Updated 12/29/2025 to reflect tax abatement information from official bill Summary, not me comparing the 105 page Introduced bill to the 104 Committee Substitute bill. If Summary is wrong, that’s not on me.