Tag Archives: Federal Election Commission

Josh Hawley (r): you brought up planes

20 Saturday Oct 2018

Posted by in Claire McCaskill, US Senate

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Another sad chapter in the annals of IOKIYAR*.

Josh Hawley (r) [2016 file photo].

Air wars: Hawley flies on lobbyist’s plane after blasting McCaskill
Missouri’s Senate candidates duke it out over whose flights are more unsavory.
By BURGESS EVERETT and ELANA SCHOR 10/20/2018 09:45 AM EDT

Sure enough, we went directly to Josh Hawley’s (r) October 2018 Federal Election Commission [FEC] campaign finance report and there it is:

Travis Brown and Kelly Brown each contributed $2612.50, in kind, dated September 24, 2018 to Josh Hawley’s (r) U.S. Senate campaign. The memo on the contribution report states: “In Kind: Air Charter 9-20-18”

Well, slap my face and call me a republican lobbyist, I’d never consider such a thing possible, given Josh Hawley’s, you know, lack of insider contacts and his apparent aversion to air travel.

Gee, they’re both “self employed” in the “government relations” business. “Government relations” is FEC report talk for “lobbyist”. Charter plane flights not always included.

Travis Brown, Travis Brown…wait a minute, we’ve run into that name before. At the Missouri Ethics Commision [lobbying search]:

Principal: PELOPIDAS, LLC 1034 S. BRENTWOOD BLVD, STE 1700 SAINT LOUIS , MO 63117 […]
Lobbyist: Travis Brown 1034 S. Brentwood Blvd, Ste 1700 Saint Louis , MO 63117 […]

Why, that’s the same address listed for the in-kind contributions to Josh Hawley (r) in the FEC report. Go figure.

It’s not like a lobbyist’s plane hasn’t been an issue in the past:

Today’s Republican Floor Leader co-owns plane with Lobbyist story is (January 16, 2009)

A Plane, a Business, a Representative, and a Lobbyist (January 18, 2009)

A Plane, a Business, a Representative, and a Lobbyist, part 2 (January 19, 2009)

A Plane, a Business, a Representative, and a Lobbyist, part 3 (January 22, 2009)

It’s plane what isn’t going to happen this year when it comes to ethics reform in Jefferson City (December 31, 2009)

We’re fairly certain this is not the aircraft in question – we couldn’t find the registration number on it.

Though it does make an apt metaphor for the blatant hypocrisy inherent in Josh Hawley’s (r) campaign rhetoric.

The more things change, the more they remain the same, and the very same republicans show up with their plane.

* it’s okay if you’re a republican

Some really wealthy people in Maryland are paying for the right wingnut doorhangers placed on our doors here in Warrensburg, Missouri – part 2

11 Thursday Oct 2018

Posted by in campaign finance, Claire McCaskill, US Senate

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The Ivy League vision of a flatbed truck.


Oh, but wait, there’s more.

Contributors to Josh Hawley (r), via the Federal Election Commission:

Contributor information
Name GULA, RONALD J
City and state ELLICOTT CITY, MD, 210421326
Occupation PRESIDENT
Employer GULA TECH ADVENTURES
Year to date $5,400.00
Contribution information
Amount $2,700.00
Receipt date May 29, 2018
Memo CONTRIBUTION
Reported on Form 3 on line 11AI
Election type GENERAL
Recipient information
Committee JOSH HAWLEY FOR SENATE
Political party REPUBLICAN PARTY
Type Senate
State Missouri

[emphasis added]

Contributor information
Name GULA, CYNTHIA
City and state ELLICOTT CITY, MD, 210421326
Occupation MANAGING DIRECTOR
Employer GULA TECH ADVENTURES
Year to date $5,400.00
Contribution information
Amount $2,700.00
Receipt date May 29, 2018
Memo CONTRIBUTION
Reported on Form 3 on line 11AI
Election type GENERAL
Recipient information
Committee JOSH HAWLEY FOR SENATE
Political party REPUBLICAN PARTY
Type Senate
State Missouri

[emphasis added]

They’re all in.

The same people from Maryland who maxed out with individual contributions to Josh Hawley’s ladder climbing U.S. Senate campaign dropped $500,000.00 on a PAC which is paying for right wingnut door hangers distributed in Warrensburg, Missouri.

Interestingly, these individuals didn’t contribute to Josh Hawley’s (r) 2016 campaign for Attorney General. We looked.

Welcome to campaign finance in 21st Century America.

Previously:

Senator Claire McCaskill (D) – town hall in Warrensburg – Press Q and A – August 17, 2017 (August 17, 2017)

Claire McCaskill (D) clubs a baby harp seal… (August 8, 2018)

Some really wealthy people in Maryland are paying for the right wingnut doorhangers placed on our doors here in Warrensburg, Missouri (October 10, 2018)

Campaign Finance: attempting to follow the money…

15 Saturday Oct 2016

Posted by in campaign finance

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…with very little success.

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

Eric Greitens (r) [2016 file photo].

On Eric Greitens’ (r) now legendary transparency, a press release from Chris Koster’s (D) 2016 gubernatorial campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15th, 2016
[….]

Statement: Eric Greitens’ “SEALs For Truth” is Funded By Dark Money Organization

St. Louis – Today, SEALs For Truth, a mysterious organization, and Eric Greitens’ largest donor, disclosed their list of “donors” to the public. Instead of a list of individuals, the organization was completely funded by a single organization called the “American Policy Coalition”. It is just one anonymous group funneling money to another anonymous group – a Russian nesting doll of campaign finance.

In the Republican Primary, Greitens claimed the donors behind SEALs For Truth were “Naval special warfare, Navy SEALs, and special warfare combatant crewmen who were also part of Naval Special Warfare, who saw what was happening in [his] campaign.” MEC filings show that was a lie.  

David Turner, spokesman for the Koster campaign, delivered the following statement:

“Eric Greitens lied to the people of Missouri. He is running a campaign with no regard for ethics or integrity. This FEC disclosure further proves his only interest is furthering his own political ambitions. With more than 70% of his donations outside of Missouri, and more obscured through legal entities and dark money groups, his pledge to clean up corruption is a complete and utter joke. What’s worse is that he continues to mislead Missourians by refusing to release his tax returns. I have one word to describe Eric Greitens on ethics: pathetic.”

###

Eric Greiten’s (r) received a single campaign contribution of $1,975,000.00 from “SEALs for Truth” on July 18, 2016.

The American Policy Coalition? “SEALs for Truth” and the “American Policy Coalition” don’t show up in any searches at the Missouri Ethics Commission.

The October quarterly filing [pdf] for “SEALs for Truth” with the Federal Election Commission lists a single $2,000,000.00 contribution from the “American Policy Coalition, Inc.” in Washington, D.C.:

SCHEDULE A
ITEMIZED RECEIPTS
All Listed Line Numbers
Committee: SEALS FOR TRUTH
Contributor’s Name Contributor’s Address Employer/Occupation Memo/Description Memo Text Date Amount ($) Aggregate ($) Limits
American Policy Coalition, Inc. P.O. Box 26445 Washington, DC 20001 07/18/2016 2000000.00 2000000.00

[emphasis added]

That’s it. One $2,000,000.00 contribution, of which all but $25,000.00 was passed through to Eric Greitens’ (r) 2016 gubernatorial campaign.

The disbursements for “SEALs for Truth” filed with the Federal Election Commission:

SCHEDULE B
ITEMIZED DISBURSEMENTS
All Listed Line Numbers
Committee: SEALS FOR TRUTH Disbursement To Address Election Type Date of Disbursement Extra Description Amount This Period Text Memo
Clark Hill PLC 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 1000 N. Bldg Washington, DC 20004 07/25/2016 Legal fees 3295.50

Clark Hill PLC 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 1000 N. Bldg Washington, DC 20004 09/01/2016 Legal fees 3010.00

Jackson-Alvarez Group 7777 Leesburg Pike Suite 407N Falls Church, Virginia 22043 09/28/2016 Research consulting services 5000.00

Greitens for Missouri 4579 LACLEDE AVE #138 St. Louis, Missouri 63108 07/18/2016 Contribution 1975000.00

[emphasis added]

Nope. Still no idea who wrote the check(s). So much for campaign finance transparency.

Previously:

Campaign Finance: Oh, like they couldn’t come up with another $25,000.00? (July 18, 2016)

Campaign Finance: not exactly a paragon of transparency (August 11, 2016)

Campaign Finance: just passing through (August 26, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who’s that for? (September 17, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Oh, like anyone is surprised? (September 19, 2016)

Campaign Finance: maybe it all depends on what your definition of “grassroots” is (September 30, 2016)

Campaign Finance: let’s go for the record (October 4, 2016)

Campaign Finance: the journey continues, one $1,000,000.00 check at a time (October 6, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Who benefits? (October 9, 2016)

Campaign Finance: You were expecting something else? (October 14, 2016)

Campaign Finance: the same old $#&@, the usual suspects

09 Friday Sep 2016

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Heartland Resurgence (that reads so right wingnutty, in a post-apocalyptic sort of way) has been running same independent television ads about Jason Kander (D) who is running against the incumbent Roy Blunt (r) for the U.S. Senate. We haven’t seen the ads, so we thought we’d follow the money, via the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

An expenditure report from August 28, 2016, which had to be reported to the FEC within forty-eight hours:

SCHEDULE E

INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
FILING FEC-1097344 [pdf]
Committee: HEARTLAND RESURGENCE

Multi Media Services
915 King Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Purpose of Expenditure: TV Advertising
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Jason Kander
Candidate ID: S6MO00362
Office Sought: Senate
State is Missouri in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation = 08/29/2016
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 08/29/2016
Person Completing Form: Gregg Hartley
Date Signed = 08/29/2016
Amount Expended = $129500.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $129[,]500.00

Subtotal of Itemized Independent Expenditures = $129500
Subtotal of Unitemized Independent Expenditures = $0
Total Expenditures This Period = $129500

[emphasis added]

$129,500.00 is a lot of television time.

And another expenditure report, this time from June 15, 2016:

SCHEDULE E
INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES
FILING FEC-1077637 [pdf]

Committee: HEARTLAND RESURGENCE

Majority Strategies
12854 Kenan Drive
Suite 145
Jacksonville, Florida 32258

Purpose of Expenditure: Digital Advertising
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Jason Kander
Candidate ID: S6MO00362
Office Sought: Senate
State is Missouri in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation = 06/13/2016
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 06/15/2016
Person Completing Form: Aaron Willard
Date Signed = 06/15/2016
Amount Expended = $51500.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $55500.00

Pioneer Outdoor
1936 East Sunshine Street
Suite B
Springfield, Missouri 65804

Purpose of Expenditure: Digital Billboards
Name of Federal Candidate supported or opposed by expenditure: Roy Blunt
Candidate ID: S0MO00183
Office Sought: Senate
State is Missouri in District
Date of Disbursement or Obligation = 02/12/2016
Date of Public Distribution/Dissemination = 06/15/2016
Person Completing Form: Aaron Willard
Date Signed = 06/15/2016
Amount Expended = $4000.00
Calendar YTD Per Election for Office Sought = $4000.00

Subtotal of Itemized Independent Expenditures = $55500
Subtotal of Unitemized Independent Expenditures = $0
Total Expenditures This Period = $55500

[emphasis added]

Might this be a generational thing? The younger candidate, with possibly a younger voting base, gets subjected to “digital advertising”. The older incumbent, with a much older voting base, gets “digital billboards.”

So, who’s helping to pay for all this? From the July Quarterly report filed with the FEC on July 15, 2016, covering the period from April 1 to June 30, 2016:

ITEMIZED RECEIPTS
All Listed Line Numbers

Committee: HEARTLAND RESURGENCE [pdf]
Contributor’s Name Contributor’s Address Employer/Occupation Memo/Description Memo Text Date Amount ($) Aggregate ($)Limits

August Busch 1 Mid Rivers Mall Dr Suite 210 St. Peters, Missouri 63376 Retired / Retired 04/08/2016 25000.00 25000.00

Cloakroom Advisors 100 M Street SE 5th Floor Washington, DC 20003 In-kind – Strategic Consulting 04/01/2016 6500.00 26000.00
Cloakroom Advisors 100 M Street SE 5th Floor Washington, DC 20003 In-kind – Strategic Consulting 05/01/2016 6500.00 32500.00
Cloakroom Advisors 100 M Street SE 5th Floor Washington, DC 20003 In-kind – Strategic Consulting 06/01/2016 6500.00 39000.00

Florida Crystals Corp. One North Clematis Street Suite 200 West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 05/05/2016 25000.00 25000.00

Herzog Contracting 600 South Riverside Rd. St. Joseph, Missouri 64507 05/09/2016 5000.00 5000.00

Jed Manocherian 18 East 50th Street New York, New York 10022 Self-Employed / Real Estate Investor 06/08/2016 20000.00 20000.00

MedPay 1650 E. Battlefield, Suite 300 Springfield, Missouri 65804 06/08/2016 2000.00 2000.00

The Chickasaw Nation PO Box 1548 Ada, Oklahoma 74820 06/16/2016 25000.00 25000.00

US Sugar Corp. 111 Ponce Del Leon Avenue Clewiston, Florida 33440 05/02/2016 25000.00 25000.00

That’s an interesting collection.

First question: Is Cloakroom Advisors some sort of club or a recovery group? Just asking. It sounds kind of like something at a junior high school. I find it interesting that the committee obviously considers Washington, D.C; New York City; West Palm Beach, Florida; and Clewiston, Florida part of the “heartland”. Okay, that would be a matter of opinion. A second question: What did Jason Kander ever do to piss off the Chickasaw Nation? Just asking.

Let’s take a look at a bit if the Missouri contributors’ state (not federal) history of campaign contributions via the Missouri Ethics Commission to see if we can ascertain their motivation(s):

MECID Committee Name Report Contributor Name/Address Employer/Occupation Contribution Date Contribution Amount Monetary/In-Kind Committee

C111194 CITIZENS FOR KENNETH W WILSON July Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp P O Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502
06/08/2016 $1,000.00 Monetary No
C141055 HANAWAY FOR GOVERNOR, INC July Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp PO Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 NA/NA 06/16/2016 $50,000.00 Monetary No
C141055 HANAWAY FOR GOVERNOR, INC 30 Day After Primary Election-8/2/2016 Herzog Contracting Corp P O Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 07/22/2016 $100,000.00 Monetary No
C141055 HANAWAY FOR GOVERNOR, INC April Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp. PO Box 1089 Saint Joseph MO 64502
03/25/2016 $25,000.00 Monetary No
C151004 ASHCROFT FOR MISSOURI July Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp. P.O. Box 1089 St. Joseph MO 64502
04/05/2016 $25,000.00 Monetary No C151006
AGC OF MO PAC July Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp. P. O. Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 06/13/2016 $1,051.00
Monetary No
C151006 AGC OF MO PAC April Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp. P. O. BOx 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 01/12/2016 $250.00 Monetary No
C151006 AGC OF MO PAC April Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp. P. O. Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 03/02/2016 $800.00 In-Kind No
C151102 EIGEL FOR MISSOURI 30 Day After Primary Election-8/2/2016 Herzog Contracting Corp PO Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64052 07/27/2016 $50,000.00 Monetary No
C151102 EIGEL FOR MISSOURI 8 Day Before Primary Election-8/2/2016 Herzog Contracting Corp PO Box 1089 St Joseph MO 64502 07/13/2016 $100,000.00 Monetary No
C151132 HAWLEY FOR MISSOURI April Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp PO Box 1089 St. Joseph MO 64502
03/25/2016 $25,000.00 Monetary No
C151132 HAWLEY FOR MISSOURI 30 Day After Primary Election-8/2/2016 Herzog Contracting Corp PO Box 1089 St. Joseph MO 64502 07/22/2016 $100,000.00 Monetary No
C161078 DR DAN BROWN FOR TREASURER July Quarterly Report Herzog Contracting Corp 600 S Riverside St Joseph MO 64507
04/19/2016 $25,000.00 Monetary No

That’s quite a lineup of right wingnut candidates. It might be safe to say that Jason Kander (D) is not their favorite candidate.

MECID Committee Name Report Contributor Name/Address Employer/Occupation Contribution Date Contribution Amount Monetary/In-Kind Committee

C061248 FRIENDS OF RICK STREAM July Quarterly Report August Busch 1 Mid Rivers Mall Drive Suite 210 St. Peters MO 63376 Retired 06/10/2016 $1,000.00 Monetary No
C081145 CITIZENS TO ELECT KURT SCHAEFER ATTORNEY GENERAL April Quarterly Report August Busch 1 Mid Rivers Mall, Ste. 210 St Peters MO 63376 retired/retired 03/28/2016 $10,000.00 Monetary No

Again, you get the picture.

MECID Committee Name Report Contributor Name/Address Employer/Occupation Contribution Date Contribution Amount Monetary/In-Kind Committee

C000465 COMMITTEE FOR THE FUTURE 40 Day Before General Municipal Election-4/5/2016 Med Pay Inc PO Box 10909 Springfield MO 65804 02/12/2016 $500.00 Monetary No

No clue there. Though the future seems to fare less well than “Heartland Resurgence”.

Update:

It’s who you know.

FEC FORM 1
STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION
FILING FEC-1096908

1. Heartland Resurgence
    300 M Street SE
    Suite 402
    Washington, DC 20003
    NOTE: Address is different than previously reported
    Email: heartlandresurgence@gmail.com
2. Date: 08/25/2016
3. FEC Committee ID #: C00544551
This committee supports/opposes more than one Federal candidate and is NOT a separate segregated fund or a party committee.
Affiliated Committees/Organizations
NONE

Custodian of Records:
Aaron Willard
PO Box 902
Chesterfield, MO 63006
Title: Custodian of Records
[….]

Treasurer:
Gregg Hartley
300 M Street SE
Suite 402
Washington, DC 20003
Title: Treasurer
[….]

Designated Agent(s):
Banks or Depositories
Bank of America
7800 Forsyth Blvd.
Clayton, Missouri 63105

Signed: Gregg Hartley
Date Signed: 08/25/2016

[emphasis added]

….Gregg Hartley provides his clients with a connection to a broad number of key Republicans in both the U.S. House and Senate. Hartley was the senior staffer and advisor for eighteen years to U.S. House of Representative Roy Blunt (R-MO), the former Republican Whip of the US House of Representatives. As Chief of Staff to the Whip, he was part of the leadership staff who worked for the then Speaker, Majority Leader, Conference Chair, and seven other leadership offices. From the Republican Whip Office, Hartley directed coalition efforts, working with outside groups in “grow the vote” activities….

Campaign Finance: mean people are paying a lot of money to be mean to John Brunner (r)

23 Saturday Jul 2016

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Since July 15th has passed we thought we’d take a look at the Federal Election Commission campaign finance report of LG PAC, the political action committee which started running television ads attacking republican gubernatorial candidate John Brunner in June. The LG PAC July quarterly report filed with the FEC covers the period from April 1st to June 30th.

FEC FORM 3X
REPORT OF RECEIPTS AND DISBURSEMENTS
For Other Than An Authorized Committee
FILING FEC-1086703
1. LG PAC
520 WEST 103RD STREET
SUITE 243
KANSAS CITY, Missouri 64114
2. FEC Committee ID #: C00617340
3. This committee has NOT qualified as a multicandidate committee (see FEC Form 1M)
4. Report Type = JUL QUARTERLY
Filed: 07/15/2016
5. Covering Period 04/01/2016 Through 06/30/2016
Column A
This Period
Column B
Year To Date
6. (a) Cash on hand, January 1, 2016
0.00
(b) Cash on hand at Beginning of Reporting Period 0.00
(c) Total Receipts (from line 19) 2300004.00 2300004.00
(d) Subtotal (6(b) + 6(c) for A, 6(a) + 6(c) for B) 2300004.00 2300004.00
7. Total Disbursements 2221046.70 2221046.70
8. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period 78957.30 78957.30
9. Debts and Obligations Owed TO the Committee 0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
10. Debts and Obligations Owed BY the Committee 0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
Treasurer: Richard Monsees
Date Signed: 07/15/2016

[emphasis added]

That’s $2,300,004.00 in contributions and $2,221,046.70 in expenditures.

And where did the money come from?:

SCHEDULE A
ITEMIZED RECEIPTS
All Listed Line Numbers
[….]
Freedom Frontier P.O. Box 341016
Austin, Texas 78734
06/01/2016 1500000.00 1500000.00

Freedom Frontier P.O. Box 341016
Austin, Texas 78734
06/22/2016 300000.00 1800000.00

Freedom Frontier P.O. Box 341016
Austin, Texas 78734
06/29/2016 500000.00 2300000.00

So, that’s three different contributions of $1,500,000.00, $300,000.00, and $500,000.00 from the same entity over a period of four weeks. Note the address: P.O. Box 341016 Austin, Texas 78734

And how was all that money spent?:

SCHEDULE B
ITEMIZED DISBURSEMENTS
All Listed Line Numbers
Committee: LG PAC
[….]
Clark Hill PLC 601 Pennsylvania Ave NW Suite 1000 N. Bldg
Washington, DC 20004
06/30/2016 Legal fees 6311.50

Main Street Media Group P.O. Box 25093
Alexandria, Virginia 22313
06/02/2016 Media Buy 964964.00

Main Street Media Group P.O. Box 25093
Alexandria, Virginia 22313
06/15/2016 Media Buy 375552.50

Main Street Media Group P.O. Box 25093
Alexandria, Virginia 22313
06/23/2016 Media Buy 414681.50

Main Street Media Group P.O. Box 25093
Alexandria, Virginia 22313
06/30/2016 Media Buy 459336.50

That’s a lot of “media”.

We looked for Freedom Frontier at the Federal Election Commission and came up with Freedom Frontier Action Network, which interestingly, has a Custodian of Records/Designated Agent with the very same address as Freedom Frontier:

FEC FORM 1
STATEMENT OF ORGANIZATION
FILING FEC-1041757
1. FREEDOM FRONTIER ACTION NETWORK
4790 CAUGHLIN PARKWAY #767
RENO, NV 89519
Email: so@gobergroup.com
NOTE: Email address is different than previously reported
2. Date: 01/07/2016
3. FEC Committee ID #: C00496372
This committee supports/opposes more than one Federal candidate and is NOT a separate segregated fund or a party committee.
Affiliated Committees/Organizations
NONE
Custodian of Records:
Shannon O’Leary
PO Box 341016
Austin, TX 78734
Title: Assistant Treasurer

Treasurer:
Scott Bensing
4790 Caughlin Parkway
#757
Reno, Nevada 89519
Title: Treasurer
Phone # (775) 771-4724

Designated Agent(s):
Shannon O’Leary
PO Box 341016
Austin, Texas 78734
Title: Assistant Treasurer

Banks or Depositories
Wells Fargo
420 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, California 94104

Signed: Scott Bensing
Date Signed: 01/23/2016

[emphasis added]

Very interesting.

On January 25, 2016 the Federal Election Commission accepted [pdf] the termination of Freedom Frontier Action Network’s involvement with federal elections (and hence, their need to file disclosure reports with the FEC).

We’ve looked for a Freedom Frontier PAC in Missouri, Texas, and Nevada. It could be our poor search skills, but we couldn’t find anything in those systems.

So, as it stands, someone or many people are possibly spending $2,300,000.00 to be really mean to John Brunner (r). And we still don’t know who is behind it.

Previously:

PAC people are being mean to John Brunner (r) (June 4, 2016)

PAC people are being mean to John Brunner (r) – part 2 (June 5, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Oh, like they couldn’t come up with another $25,000.00?

18 Monday Jul 2016

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….Yes, but the eventual republican nominee will have all the money they need….

Today at the Missouri Ethics Commission for Eric Greitens’ (r) 2016 gubernatorial campaign:

C151053 07/18/2016 GREITENS FOR MISSOURI SEALs for Truth P.O. Box 29525 Washington DC 20017 7/18/2016 $1,975,000.00

[emphasis added]

Nope, can’t (as far as we can tell) vote in the primary or the general election.

Still, $1,975,000.00 is a lot in anyone’s book. Gee, if only there was some available television air time somewhere in Missouri.

Yard signs! That’s one way to spend $1,975,000.00 in two weeks.

And where did all that money come from? (via the Federal Election Commission):

….Committee ID : C00619973 Name: SEALS FOR TRUTH
Address: P.O. BOX 29525, WASHINGTON, DC 20017
Treasurer Name: BRITT, NICHOLAS
Type: O – INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE-ONLY COMMITTEE
Designation: U – UNAUTHORIZED
[….]

Statement Of Organization New 06/15/2016 5 201606159017909213 PDF HTML / FEC-1077491
July Quarterly New 07/15/2016 04/01/2016 06/30/2016 5 201607159020592247 PDF HTML / FEC-1086627

[emphasis added]

Well, it’s pretty darn new.

According to their FEC Form 3-X they didn’t have any assets as of June 30, 2016:

[….]
5. Covering Period 04/01/2016 Through 06/30/2016
6. (a) Cash on hand, January 1, 2016
0.00
(b) Cash on hand at Beginning of Reporting Period 0.00

(c) Total Receipts (from line 19) 0.00 0.00
(d) Subtotal (6(b) + 6(c) for A, 6(a) + 6(c) for B) 0.00 0.00
7. Total Disbursements 0.00 0.00
8. Cash on Hand at Close of Reporting Period 0.00 0.00
9. Debts and Obligations Owed TO the Committee 0.00
Itemize all on SCHEDULE C or SCHEDULE D
10. Debts and Obligations Owed BY the Committee 0.00
[….]

So, until we see the next filing we can’t tell who dropped $1,975,000.00 on Eric Greitens’ (r) gubernatorial campaign. So much for transparency.

Previously:

Governor – July 2016 campaign finance reports (July 17, 2016)

Campaign Finance: Vicky Hartzler (r) – October quarterly report – farms

22 Monday Oct 2012

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The October quarterly campaign finance reports for the candidates in the 4th Congressional District were due at the Federal Election Commission on October 15th. We’ve taken a look at the filings for Teresa Hensley (D) and Vicky Hartzler (r).

Given her past history of receiving USDA farm subsidies, we thought we’d take a look at Vicky Hartzler’s (r) campaign contributions and the USDA farm subsidies in the same zip codes as those contributors where “farmer” is indicated under name of employer/occupation on the FEC campaign finance filing [pdf].

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Martha Cubbage Nevada MO 64772-7792 Farmer 09 30 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10559 [$]500.00

[emphasis added]

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Brad Thompson Nevada MO 64772 Farmer 09 30 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10554 [$]500.00

[emphasis added]

From the Environmental Working Group Farm Subsidy Database:

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 928 in zipcode 64772

Recipients in this zipcode received $24,817,515 from 1995-2006

1 Bob Beisly II Nevada, MO 64772 $ 925,321.38

2 Cubbage Farms Inc Nevada, MO 64772 $ 853,519.93

3 Virgil Ast Nevada, MO 64772 $ 675,746.90

4 Gilbert Lee Willson Nevada, MO 64772 $ 671,315.79

5 C D Scotten Nevada, MO 64772 $ 652,030.08

6 James Lee Hardin Nevada, MO 64772 $ 645,233.56

7 Kenneth J Wilson Nevada, MO 64772 $ 553,420.96

8 Robert Lee Hughes Nevada, MO 64772 $ 541,441.60

9 Russell Reed Nevada, MO 64772 $ 518,894.92

10 Russell Johnson Nevada, MO 64772 $ 513,280.64

11 Donald Eugene Cubbage Nevada, MO 64772 $ 456,316.54

12 Lincoln Robert Hughes Nevada, MO 64772 $ 423,253.14

13 James L Guthrie Revocable Living Nevada, MO 64772 $ 421,357.31

14 E R Todd Jr Nevada, MO 64772 $ 416,329.45

15 Hayden Morgan Nevada, MO 64772 $ 412,136.94

16 Jeffrey D Greer Nevada, MO 64772 $ 372,997.03

17 Charlene Carlson-karnes Nevada, MO 64772 $ 366,447.18

18 Belvin R Legleiter Nevada, MO 64772 $ 364,870.71

19 Osbourn Meeker Inc Nevada, MO 64772 $ 350,222.56

20 Huleigh J Wilson Nevada, MO 64772 $ 336,598.66

21 Bradley V Thompson Nevada, MO 64772 $ 336,172.98

22 Stultz Lake Hunting & Fish Nevada, MO 64772 $ 316,000.00

23 Thompson Bros Cattle Co Nevada, MO 64772 $ 300,370.86

24 Kent Abele Nevada, MO 64772 $ 295,629.23

25 Timberhill Riverbend Inc Nevada, MO 64772 $ 290,448.55

26 W J Steward Nevada, MO 64772 $ 283,806.00

27 Ermon E Cubbage Nevada, MO 64772 $ 280,000.16

28 E Yvonne Ramsey Trust Nevada, MO 64772 $ 268,932.00

29 Tracy Beisly Nevada, MO 64772 $ 267,807.73

30 Wayside Farm Inc The Nevada, MO 64772 $ 264,297.89

There’s more:

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Jerry Schnelle Golden City MO 64747 Farmer 08 06 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10209 [$]2000.00

[emphasis added]

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 260 in zipcode 64748

Recipients in this zipcode received $14,590,238 from 1995-2006

1 Jackie L Thomas Golden City, MO 64748 $ 1,469,415.33

2 Eula Mae Thomas Golden City, MO 64748 $ 1,111,812.32

3 Jerry Schnelle Golden City, MO 64748 $ 914,199.23

4 Paul Stefan & Sons Farms Inc Golden City, MO 64748 $ 749,725.75

5 Merle Schnelle Golden City, MO 64748 $ 605,991.12

6 Kent H Schnelle Golden City, MO 64748 $ 493,450.59

7 Lyndell Wood Golden City, MO 64748 $ 429,917.67

8 Parkers Farms Inc Golden City, MO 64748 $ 419,742.51

9 Mark Whittle Dba Whittle Farms Golden City, MO 64748 $ 373,545.03

10 Ivan L Davis Golden City, MO 64748 $ 370,701.00

11 Steve E Fury Trust Dtd 05/02/03 Golden City, MO 64748 $ 340,406.66

12 Max Stratton Golden City, MO 64748 $ 336,248.37

13 Thomas Probert Combs Golden City, MO 64748 $ 290,086.50

14 Darvin Alan Bentlage Golden City, MO 64748 $ 265,037.38

15 Paul G Stefan Golden City, MO 64748 $ 264,099.85

16 Lloyd R Tubaugh Living Trust Golden City, MO 64748 $ 250,612.69

17 Poirot Farms Inc Golden City, MO 64748 $ 249,006.41

18 Jim Eldred Golden City, MO 64748 $ 223,993.00

19 William Stefan Golden City, MO 64748 $ 193,873.00

20 J D Hobbs Golden City, MO 64748 $ 188,043.19

21 Bruce Lilienkamp Golden City, MO 64748 $ 184,329.65

22 Tubaugh Enterprises LLC Golden City, MO 64748 $ 184,112.81

23 Greg Harris Golden City, MO 64748 $ 169,732.76

24 Judith K Robinson Golden City, MO 64748 $ 156,507.48

25 Bruce R Townley Golden City, MO 64748 $ 146,990.54

26 Charles Brinkhoff Golden City, MO 64748 $ 146,872.44

27 Jerry Banta Golden City, MO 64748 $ 145,279.56

28 Lila West Golden City, MO 64748 $ 139,494.81

29 John Huser Golden City, MO 64748 $ 136,552.45

30 Jerry Patterson Golden City, MO 64748 $ 135,937.83

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

William Stefan Lockwood MO 65682 Farmer 08 06 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10205 [$]500.00

[emphasis added]

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 354 in zipcode 65682

Recipients in this zipcode received $21,016,613 from 1995-2006

1 Schilling Farms Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 1,605,097.74

2 William C Stefan Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 1,241,297.55

3 Wayne H Schnelle Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 1,193,360.87

4 Haubein Farms Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 1,068,569.94

5 Hedeman Farms Ltd Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 884,076.71

6 Warren Brothers Llp Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 838,896.74

7 Merle Schnelle Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 605,991.12

8 David Carrier Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 492,596.96

9 Nathan Wehrman Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 445,771.98

10 James A Schilling Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 432,253.74

11 Dale Schnelle Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 411,559.86

12 Harold Schnelle Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 402,152.38

13 Dwight Schnelle Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 390,104.94

14 Leland Eggerman Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 387,602.22

15 Roger Boehne Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 371,148.04

16 Betty Schilling Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 330,319.85

17 Kenneth Ogden Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 320,202.80

18 Tim Eggerman Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 312,436.98

19 Daniel Lee Engelage Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 255,318.29

20 Russell Niehoff Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 255,302.15

21 Charles Niehoff Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 245,626.38

22 Ronnie Backs Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 245,303.31

23 Jeff Nentrup Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 244,361.89

24 Loren Eggerman Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 236,271.36

25 Curtis Warren Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 227,221.11

26 Chris E Daniel Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 209,795.69

27 Kem Price Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 207,793.66

28 James D Parker Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 205,489.12

29 Eugene Stump Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 202,341.60

30 William Stefan Lockwood, MO 65682 $ 193,873.00

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Walter Groth Versailles MO 65084 Farmer 08 24 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10263 [$]100.00

[emphasis added]

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 295 in zipcode 65084

Recipients in this zipcode received $5,834,940 from 1995-2006

1 Melvin Gerber Versailles, MO 65084 $ 896,985.58

2 Robert C Penny III Versailles, MO 65084 $ 449,402.88

3 Homer’s Hog Farm Versailles, MO 65084 $ 371,308.13

4 Walter Groth Versailles, MO 65084 $ 366,576.75

5 El-par Farms Inc Versailles, MO 65084 $ 243,927.09

6 Frank L Nichols Versailles, MO 65084 $ 184,348.95

7 Philip R Wenger Versailles, MO 65084 $ 169,566.98

8 Brian Lehman Versailles, MO 65084 $ 154,510.87

9 Johnnie Dwayne Schad Versailles, MO 65084 $ 151,598.76

10 Quintin Lehman Versailles, MO 65084 $ 151,348.09

11 Glenn Weaver Versailles, MO 65084 $ 134,533.85

12 Chris Siegel Versailles, MO 65084 $ 124,204.10

13 James T Spahr Versailles, MO 65084 $ 112,239.53

14 Phillip Samson Versailles, MO 65084 $ 109,169.17

15 Florence Penny Versailles, MO 65084 $ 97,331.47

16 Larry Rumans Versailles, MO 65084 $ 96,927.92

17 Nolan Koehn Versailles, MO 65084 $ 96,452.54

18 Richard Dean Koehn Versailles, MO 65084 $ 93,355.96

19 Eastwood Land & Cattle Co Versailles, MO 65084 $ 92,906.08

20 Kenyon Aeschbacher Versailles, MO 65084 $ 82,319.00

21 J C Stevens Versailles, MO 65084 $ 76,400.00

22 Adrian Hooper Versailles, MO 65084 $ 71,494.86

23 Jerry W Gerlt Versailles, MO 65084 $ 68,242.80

24 Irvin Gerlt Versailles, MO 65084 $ 65,764.88

25 Gerald R Weaver Versailles, MO 65084 $ 62,677.86

26 Thomas Wilhelm Versailles, MO 65084 $ 55,306.87

27 Nelson Rouse Versailles, MO 65084 $ 54,900.39

28 Rodney Schad Versailles, MO 65084 $ 53,940.11

29 George Rouse Versailles, MO 65084 $ 51,508.00

30 Jack D Hutchison Versailles, MO 65084 $ 46,703.54

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Edward Dement Sikeston MO 63801-5161 Farmer 09 30 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10533 [$]200.00

[emphasis added]

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Charles Jennings Sikeston MO 63801 Farmer 09 10 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10334 [$]500.00

[emphasis added]

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 1,476 in zipcode 63801

Recipients in this zipcode received $181,886,096 from 1995-2006

1 Missouri Delta Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 25,280,577.78

2 Parker Brothers Farm Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 6,768,606.24

3 Pearson Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 6,082,406.92

4 Rick Towery Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 3,131,449.29

5 Jennings Planting Co Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 3,120,689.55

6 Triple D Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 2,951,226.30

7 Triangle Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 2,695,092.92

8 Douglas A Scott Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 2,069,546.50

9 Circle N Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,803,027.58

10 Gaylon Maurice Lawrence Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,783,360.18

11 United Ridge Farms Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,739,460.35

12 Edward E Dement Farms Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,702,869.29

13 Dyer And Kathleen Garner Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,686,698.04

14 Ben Hunter Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,680,599.70

15 H Double J Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,673,146.34

16 Herbert Schuerenberg Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,625,899.99

17 Mcgarity Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,622,510.80

18 Terry W Manes Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,538,824.42

19 John C Engram Farms Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,527,153.72

20 Dement Farms Partnership Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,487,468.68

21 David Lape Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,473,461.95

22 Dame Land Co Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,441,971.94

23 John Byrd Farms Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,396,808.19

24 Jennings Bros Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,378,459.91

25 Plucknett Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,346,993.69

26 Malden Motel Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,328,551.49

27 D G And G Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,225,314.24

28 Whitten & Whitten Farms Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,212,338.76

29 Gardner & Gardner Inc Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,203,283.65

30 Kenny Wayne Bright Sikeston, MO 63801 $ 1,201,292.86

Image# 12972596194

SCHEDULE A (FEC Form 3)

Vicky Hartzler for Congress

Steve Droke Hornersville MO 63855 Farmer 09 10 2012 Transaction ID : 21004.C10345 [$]500.00

[emphasis added]

EWG Farm Subsidy Database

Subsidy Recipients 1 to 30 of 238 in zipcode 63855

Recipients in this zipcode received $41,122,187 from 1995-2006

1 Jamerson Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 5,353,937.56

2 Branum Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 2,842,873.13

3 Bond Rouse Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 2,339,682.93

4 Daniels Farm Partnership Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 2,201,125.50

5 Delta Z Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 2,135,047.05

6 Max Ray Moore Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 1,624,381.33

7 Moore And Moore Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 1,368,462.31

8 Steven Craig Droke Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 1,358,194.22

9 Davis Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 1,225,187.91

10 Marty Moore Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 1,022,110.32

11 M Jones Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 992,267.82

12 Cotton Plant Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 987,401.42

13 Schell Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 967,294.64

14 C V S Farms Inc Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 966,618.88

15 Ted Rouse Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 917,431.50

16 James Keating Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 802,758.99

17 Promise Land Farms Ptr Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 780,133.75

18 Droke Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 766,820.71

19 Robert G Ketchum Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 759,921.87

20 R D Lea Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 724,588.81

21 Aaron Reed Jamerson Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 696,300.16

22 Buford Stacks Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 637,960.97

23 Lea Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 628,901.52

24 Worrell Farms – Deleted Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 620,305.24

25 Johnny Keith Scott Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 584,828.04

26 Keating Farms Partnership Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 577,345.67

27 Jimmie Wilkins Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 471,240.63

28 Ketchum Farms Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 445,863.49

29 Larry Conley Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 441,562.79

30 K Bond Rouse Hornersville, MO 63855 $ 416,919.76

And to think, the republican controlled House of Representatives couldn’t quite bring themselves to the point of moving and passing the farm bill:

House GOP punts on farm bill

By Alan Silverleib, CNN Congressional Producer

updated 4:42 PM EDT, Thu September 20, 2012

(CNN) — House Republican leaders announced Thursday they will not take action on a new farm bill until after the November elections — a sign of sharp internal GOP divisions on a critical political issue for many members of Congress.

“We will deal with the farm bill after the election,” said Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. “The current situation that we face is we’ve got people who believe there’s not enough reform in the farm bill that came out of (the House Agriculture) committee, (and) we’ve got others who believe that there’s too much reform in the bill that came out of the committee.”

Boehner indicated GOP leaders do not believe they currently have the votes to pass either a short-term extension or a more comprehensive five-year measure.

The current five-year law establishing various levels of federal support for farmers and ranchers — now struggling with drought in many parts of the country — expires September 30….

When it comes to disclosure, McCaskill walks the walk

20 Wednesday Jun 2012

Posted by in Uncategorized

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For your reading pleasure, I offer the text of the latest press release from Claire McCaskill’s senatorial campaign below. For a little context, note that McCaskill isn’t a Johnny-come-lately to the issue of campaign financial disclosure; as her press release notes, she was an early supporter of legislation, such as the failed Disclose Act, that would have required corporations to disclose their political donations, and has consistently decried the effects of the Citizens United decision.  

Nor is McCaskill alone in her concern about the efforts of anonymous corporate entities to buy the election in 2012. Yesterday, the Obama re-election campaign entered the fray against Carl Rove’s Crossroads GPS, asking the Federal Election Commission to require the Rove organization to register as a political entity and disclose its donors. For the record, Crossroads, along with the Chamber of Commerce, mounted early, intense and patently dishonest attacks on McCaskill. We’ve written about the nasty situation here and here.

McCaskill Calls on New SuperPAC to Disclose Its Donors

McCaskill has consistently called for greater transparency, disclosure in campaign finance



St. Louis, Mo.-The McCaskill for Missouri campaign released the following statement today in response to news reports about a new SuperPAC called “Heart of America” PAC.

“Claire is adamant – outside groups need to disclose their donors and the same goes for groups looking to support her, if not more so,” said Erik Dorey, McCaskill for Missouri spokesman. “Whether they’re secret money groups that are never required to disclose, or a group like this one that has quarterly reporting requirements, Claire is making herself crystal clear: disclose your donors.”

Claire has consistently called on outside groups to disclose their donors and has repeatedly decried the Citizens United ruling that allowed some groups, such as Karl Rove’s Crossroads GPS, Americans for Prosperity, the Chamber of Commerce and 60+, to raise unlimited funds without ever disclosing their donors.

In January, Claire sent a letter to all three of her opponents asking them to join her in calling on any outside group that spends money in this race to disclose their donors and she stands by that today.

Unfortunately, none of her opponents ever responded to Claire’s letter, or her challenge to outside groups.

According to the News-Leader, this new group indicated it is planning to disclose its donors when quarterly reporters are due July 15.

I assume that none of you missed the part of McCaskill’s missive about the failure of all of her opponents to respond to her invitation to stand up for honest and transparent election funding? Of course, we all know that integrity is in short supply in the political world – but when did it become okay to just ignore a challenge to one’s supply of same and hope nobody notices?