St. Louis and Missouri politics, history, gardening. Statehood for St. Louis! Or 103rd Illinois county!
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.
Two St. Louis City Pubic School Board candidate profiles have been updated with 8 Days Out campaign finance report information. Tracy Hykes and Sadie Weiss submitted their required information to Missouri Ethics Commission. You can find their information here.
Hykes and Weiss have been endorsed by American Federal of Teachers Local 420.
Candidate Jaile’Shawn Quinones did not file a committee with MEC.
Next Tuesday, City voters will elect two new School Board Members. No excuse Absentee Voting (what Missouri calls early voting) is currently available at four locations.
St. Louis City New Ward Profiles have been updated with 8 Days Before Primary Reports, Amended Reports, and 24 Hour Later Expenditure Reports for Board President, Alders and Alder candidates, School Board Members and School Board candidates, Candidate PACs, Ward PACs, Political Party Committeepeople, other elected officials, former elected officials who still have accounts.
Next up, I will add Primary Election Results.
New campaign finance information will be added as it comes in and I have time or inclination to do so. No one really cares about campaign money unless it is damaging to an opponent, which really blows.
8 Day Before General Election Report. Close: 3/23/2023. Due: 3/27/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. Noon Friday, Missouri Ethics Commission will conduct a webinar on how to complete this report.
30 Day After Primary Election Report. Close: 4/1/2023. Due: Due: 4/6/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.
Mandatory April Quarterly Report. Close: 3/31/2023. Due: 4/17/2023.
30 Day After Election Report. Close: 4/29/2023. Due: 5/4/2023. Required if Committee made Expenditures (paid or incurred) or made Contributions for the election. If this report is required, it must be filed prior to taking office. If debt exceeds $1,000, Committee may not file Limited Activity for this report.
Additional Campaign Finance Reporting
The New Ward Profiles include up-to-date campaign finance information for most St. Louis City Alder candidates and ward organizations/political action committees.
Most instead of all because the reports are constantly changing with amended reports and late contribution or late expenditure filings with Missouri Ethics Commission. It’s very hard to keep up with.
There really ought to be a law against raising and spending money the last week of election. Get it done before then. Make that public at least five days before elections. Make it apply to candidates, political action committees, political parties.
Heartbreaking for me, personally, all the candidates taking money from the captains of industry and recipients of corporate welfare known as Civic Progress and Great White Fathers via 21st Century St. Louis PAC. Each accepted $2,600.
New 2nd Ward: 16th Ward Tom Oldenburg
New 3rd Ward: 25th Ward Alder Shane Cohn
New 5th Ward: 10th Ward Alder Joe Vollmer
New 6th Ward: Daniela Velazquez
New 8th Ward: 20th Ward Alder Cara Spencer
New 9th Ward: 28th Ward Alder Michael Gras and Michael Browning
New 11th Ward: 21st Ward Alder Laura Keys
New 13th Ward: 27th Ward Alder Pam Boyd
New 14th Ward: 5th Ward Alder James Page and State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge
Also: Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darlene Green, Board President Megan Green
40 Days Before Election campaign finance report information and other committee changes have been added to the New Ward Profiles.
Mostly, these are updates to candidate for Alder and changes to ward committees.
Next up are 8 Days Before Election Reports: 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.
The New Ward Profiles WILL NOT be updated with:
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.
UPDATED
Found the money. Alder Brandon Bosley’s campaign is using a political action committee not yet filed with Missouri Ethics Commission.
Literature and yard signs promoting his candidacy have been printed and are in use with a “Paid for by the 14th Ward Democratic Organization.”
But the only 14th Ward organization active in MEC database is the one serving pre-ward reduction 14th Ward in Bevo, Princeton Heights, and Southampton neighborhoods.
Money has been spent or debt created on Bosley’s behalf without reporting it to MEC in a timely fashion. The Treasurer is Linda Primer, who is also the Deputy Treasurer for Citizens for Brandon Bosley. There is no arms length between the two entities. Definitely collaboration between the two.
Lots more details below.
Original Post
New 14th Ward Profile is updated with 40 Days Before Alder Election reports.
3rd Ward Alder Brandon Bosley did not make a January Report or a 40 Days Out Report. His October 2022 Report was Limited Activity. His last report with any activity was April 2021 when he had $100 on hand. It’s not the sign of someone running a legit campaign.
January Reports were optional and 40 Days Out Reports were due only if committee 1) accepted contributions (money or in-kind) or 2) had expenses (paid or incurred).
The Bosley Family political action committee- 3rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization- hasn’t reported activity since April 2021 when it had $20.21 on hand.
Alder Bosley’s mother and Treasurer- 3rd Ward Committeewoman Lucinda Frazier- registered a new 14th Ward Democratic Organization as a nonprofit with Missouri Secretary of State, but not MEC. Very curious.
Alder Bosley’s Deputy Treasurer- Linda Primer- is also Treasurer for 3rd Ward Regular Democratic Organization and Civil PAC, as well as Deputy Treasurer for Bosley’s sister- State Rep. LaKeySha Bosley
Civil PAC hasn’t reported any activity since July 2022. It paid the 3rd Ward organization $2,500 for a lit drop in 2020. State Rep. Bosley last reported activity in December 2022, including $800 to political consultant Tim Person.
Some of Person’s previous clients include Jack Coatar’s disastrous run for Board President, former Mayor Lyda Krewson, former Board President Lewis Reed, former County Executive candidate Mark Montovani, former State Rep. Wiley Price, Heartland Action PAC, and Civil PAC.
Tim Person isn’t just a political consultant. He is Human Resources Director for St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds Michael Butler. Person replaced a Recorder employee of many years who was fired by Butler without cause the day he was sworn into office. She and other employees, also fired for not working for his election, sued and taxpayers paid out a six figure settlement.
We’re also talking about the same Michael Butler who chairs the Missouri Democratic Party (also sued by former employee and Party donors had to pay a settlement) and hired Person to do fundraising. Same Michael Butler who owns an all you can drink for one price bar, same bar State Rep. Bosley has worked at or still does. Same bar she held a re-election fundraiser at last year.
Butler also serves on the Board for Communities First, a nonprofit founded by Lucinda Frazier (Alder Bosley’s mother), who is also Butler’s Chief of Staff. The nonprofit’s address is used by State Rep. Bosley on her campaign finance reports and her last candidate filing at Secretary of State. It’s also been used as a default address for 3rd Ward/Bosley Family related campaign workers.
It’s a good guess that Person will be trying to help elect Alder Bosley to the new 14th Ward seat, if Bosley is actively running. It’s also a good guess that money to help that effort might come via Civil PAC.
More intrigue- State Rep. Rasheen Aldridge, one of four candidates for the 14th Ward seat, is a former employee of Michael Butler’s Recorder of Deeds office and he donated $2,600 last year to Communities First.
St. Louis, biggest small town in America.
All of these Missouri Ethics Commission accounts say they are candidates running statewide in 8/6/2024 Primary Election.
Former House Speaker Steve Gaw, Candidate for Secretary of State and US House
Fourteen year after his last campaign, Steve Gaw still has a candidate committee. His last report, other than Limited Activity, was October 2012 Amended: $43,627.80 on hand, $0 debt.
Gaw was Speaker of the Missouri House from Moberly 1996-2001, the first Speaker after Bob Griffin. Griffin resigned in 1996 and was convicted of Federal corruption charges in 1998.
Gaw ran for Secretary of State in 2000, losing to Matt Blunt, 45.1% to 51.4%,, the only Republican to win statewide that year.
In 2008, Gaw ran for 9th District U.S. House but came in second in a four candidate Democratic Primary. Judy Baker, then lost in the General Election to Blaine Luetkemeyer, 47.5% to 50%.
Former State Auditor Susan Montee
10 years after her last campaign, Susan Montee still has a candidate committee. Her October 2022 Report shows $0 raised, $0 spent, $1,938.93 on hand, $500,000 debt.
Montee began her political career serving as both as an elected St. Joseph City Councilwoman (unpaid) and elected Buchanan County Auditor.
In 2006, she ran and won a term as State Auditor, beating Republican Sandra Thomas, 52.8% to 43.4%. This was the election that State Auditor Claire McCaskill beat Republican U.S. Senator Jim Talent, 50% to 47%. McCaskill resigned as State Auditor and then Republican Governor Matt Blunt appointed Montee to the fill the less than a week remaining in McCaskill’s term.
In 2010, Montee lost re-election to Republican Tom Schweich, 45.5% to 50.8%, and soon after became Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party.
The following year, Montee resigned as Party Chair to run for Missouri Lieutenant Governor. In the Democratic Primary, she faced seven candidates and won with 44.9%. The other candidates were former Columbia State Rep. Judy Baker with 15.8%, perennial St. Louis candidate Bill Haas with 12%, Springfield State Rep. Sara Lampe with 8.9%, St. Joseph government surplus business owner Dennis Weisenburger with 5.5%, former Kansas City State Rep. Jackie Townes McGee with 5.3%, former Presiding Commissioner of Saline County Becky Lee Plattner with 3.8%, former St. Louis State Rep. Fred Kratky with 3.8%.
In the General Election for Lieutenant Governor, she lost to incumbent Republican Peter Kinder, 45.5% to 49.3%.
Former AG Chris Koster, Republican turned Democrat
Six years after his last campaign, Chris Koster still has a candidate committee. His last report, January 2023, showed $0 raised, $1,914 (all a donation to Central Institute for the Deaf), $35,192.61 on hand, $0 debt.
He was elected Cass County Prosecutor in 1994, 1996, 2000, as a Republican. He successfully prosecuted the first internet serial killer. In 2004, he was elected as Republican to the Missouri Senate to represent Cass, Johnson, Bates, Vernon Counties and chaired the Senate Republican Caucus.
In 2007, Koster left the Republican Party and became a Democrat. In 2008, he won the Democratic Primary for Attorney despite his former wife, Rebecca Bowman Nassikas, donating $200,000 to a PAC running TV ads against him.
He then beat GOP State Senator Mike Gibbons in the General Election, 52.83% to 47.17%.
In 2013, in his second term as Attorney General, Koster began running for Missouri Governor and in 2016 lost to Eric Greitens, 45.40% to 51.29%.
Koster’s October Report shows $15,000 donated to Missouri Botanical Gardens and Mizzou Law School Foundation. He appears to be slowly spending down the account with donations to nonprofits. He is currently Secretary and General Counsel for Centene.
Former Secretary of State Candidate Yinka Faleti
Two years after running for Secretary of State, Yinka Faleti still has a candidate committee. He filed Limited Activity for January 2023. His October 2022 Report shows $462 raised, spent $876, $21,254.66 on hand, $0 debt. He sold his campaign’s email list to Korede Inc, Ronke Faleti’s, his wife, business, for $412 according to the report.
Faleti ran unopposed in the 2020 Democratic Primary. He lost to Republican Jay Ashcroft, 36.4% to 60.5%.
New Ward Profiles have been updated for any candidate for Alder, elected officials and former elected officials (state legislature, City citywide and Alders, citywide County officers, School Board), ward organizations, party committeepeople, who filed January Reports with Missouri Ethics Commission. January Reports were optional.
The next filing are Or 40 Days Before Election Reports, due January 26th. They are 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.
Another run by Lyda?
Former St. Louis City Mayor Lyda Krewson still has an active MEC account. Per her January 2023 Report, she has $337,460.92 on hand. Under expenses, she’s also still a client of Kelley Group, which recently ran the losing Board President campaign for Alder Jack Coatar.
Krewson’s MEC account says she is running for citywide office in the 8/6/2024 Primary Election. Citywide offices on that ballot include City Treasurer, City Sheriff, and City Circuit Attorney.
Krewson has been added to the New 9th Ward Profile page under Former Public Officials.
Lots of campaign money in New 10th Ward
It turns out former State Senator Joe Keaveny is sitting on $168,641.65. His MEC account says he is running statewide in 8/6/2024 Primary Election.
Keaveny’s replaced former State Senator Jeff Smith in 2009 after Smith resigned after pleading guilty to two congressional campaign related felonies. He was last on a ballot in 2014.
Keaveny has been added to the New 10th Ward Profile under Former Public Officials. Additional campaign finance information has also been added to the bios for State Senator Karla May and State Rep. Del Taylor on same page.
Mayor Tishaura Jones, Comptroller Darlene Green, and Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner all reside in New 10th Ward.
Also
St. Louis City War Chests has been revised to account for Krewson and Keaveny, who are now #2 and #4 on the list. The numbering has also been fixed. Keep those tips, addition s, corrections coming.
January 2023 Reports to MEC are starting to trickle in. They are optional reports, not mandatory. New Ward Profiles will be updated with new campaign finance info as they get filed and I have time (or an interest) to do so.
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:
The New Ward Profiles WILL NOT be updated with:
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.
The Great State of St. Louis 