Dr. Vernon (Doc) Harlan Returns Donation From Attorney General Candidate Chris Koster, Calls on Other Candidates to Return Funds from Koster’s Discredited Economic Growth Council
Normandy, MO – Citing the recent revelation that aides to Missouri Attorney General candidate Chris Koster have been connected to laundering of political funds, Dr. Vernon (Doc) Harlan is returning Koster’s $300 donation to the Harlan campaign for the 71st District Seat in the Democratic Primary August 5th. Dr. Harlan is also calling on other candidates to avoid any appearance of condoning or benefitting from unethical behavior by returning funds from Koster and his publically discredited Economic Growth Council.
Dr. Harlan explained his decision by pointing out that Mr. Koster should be seeking to uphold laws, not find ways around them.
“I am deeply saddened by Mr. Koster’s decision to circumvent campaign laws by using the Economic Growth Council to access and control hundreds of thousands of laundered dollars. This is especially troubling when done by the man who aspires to be our state’s top justice official. Koster’s actions convey the message that the law is only for the rest of us, not for him and those he supports.”
The Associated Press reported on July 8, 2008 that the Economic Growth Council was created to allow Chris Koster to funnel funds to his and other campaigns after Koster’s campaign was forced to return $370,000 due to campaign contribution limits.
Dr. Harlan called on other candidates, including his opponent in the August 5th primary, to return funds from Chris Koster and the Economic Growth Council.
“We as candidates should be beyond reproach and held to a higher standard. If we want our constituents to trust us, we have to prove we are trustworthy. How can a voter in the 71st District trust any candidate who takes money from those who hold themselves to be above the law? This challenge includes my opponent who has taken hundreds, maybe thousands, from the Koster campaign.”
Dr. Vernon T. Harlan is a first time Democratic candidate for the 71st District but he is well known in education, criminal justice and civic circles as a dedicated and insightful individual who works for the betterment of society. He has approximately 20 years combined experience in both on-the-ground law enforcement and the teaching of Criminal Justice. His time spent in the study of inner city crime trends, along with his work on citizens’ crime commissions and advisory boards, make him well qualified to assist in the accreditation process for colleges and universities.
Dr. Harlan is in his thirteenth year as a Professor of Criminal Justice at St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, Missouri. During this tenure, he spent two years as first Vice Chairperson, then Chairperson of the District-Wide College Academic Council. He has completed Executive Education Programs at The Brookings Institute (U.S. National Security Policy) and at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government (Leadership in Crisis), and Harvard University School of Education. He received his Ph.D. in Human Services from Capella University, his M.A. in Criminal Justice Administration from Boston University, and his B.A. in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University. For the last eight years, he has been a member of the State of Missouri Citizens’ Advisory Commission on Corrections.
For more information about Dr. Harlan and his campaign please visit http://www.vernonharlan.com.
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