C091061: Scott Sifton For Missouri
Committee Type: Candidate
Po Box 4396
St Louis Mo 63123
Party Affiliation: Democrat
Established Date: 02/19/2009
[….]
Information Reported On: 2019 – April Quarterly Report
Beginning Money on Hand $317,989.66
Monetary Receipts + $37,221.68
Monetary Expenditures – $41,749.64
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $350.23
Subtotal ($4,878.19)
Ending Money On Hand $313,111.47
[emphasis added]
Well, okay, that’s a lot of money for a state senator who is term limiting out.
And then there’s this:
C180701: Show Me Leadership Pac
Committee Type: Political Action
Po Box 29167
St Louis Mo 63126
Established Date: 11/17/2018
[….]
Information Reported On: 2019 – April Quarterly Report
Beginning Money on Hand $100.00
Monetary Receipts + $4,600.00
Monetary Expenditures – $0.00
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal $4,600.00
Ending Money On Hand $4,700.00
On Saturday evening Jackson County Democrats gathered in Kansas City for their annual Truman Gala. Featured speakers included Senator Claire McCaskill, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, Representative Emanuel Cleaver, and State Auditor Nicole Galloway. Several hundred were in attendance.
State Auditor Nicole Galloway (D).
Senator Claire McCaskill (D).
Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D).
Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D).
State Senator Scott Sifton (D).
Hillary Shields, the Democratic Party candidate in the 8th Senate District.
Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker (D).
“…To say it politely, there’s been some change in Jefferson City recently. Uh, even just about a week ago we had a new governor that was sworn in and became the new governor of the state. And I’m here with a message from Jefferson City. Eric Greitens has left, but the corrupting influence of secret money and the anonymous insiders behind him remain. Corruption is state government got worse under Eric Greitens. After refusing to resign after bipartisan calls for month he finally called it quits when he was ordered to produce phone and other records involving secret communications about dark money and his hidden donors. I do not think that timing was coincidental…”
“…It was really interesting. Because when you had these two guys who’d never run for anything and they were buddies and they rode into Jefferson City on their white horses. They were going to clean up all the nasty corruption in Jefferson City. [laughter] Remember? They, they went after everybody. It didn’t matter if you were a Democrat or a Republican, you were all dirty if you’d been serving the public for longer than ten minutes. And the governor said he was going to come in to office and do things differently. [pause] Little did we know that meant sex in the basement with his mistress…”
“…Mel Carnahan, Bob Holden, Jay Nixon went years and years and year without a scandal, a whiff of scandal. We put these guys in office and we’ve got felony charges in about ten minutes. So I really do think what Eric Greitens’ time in government taught us is there’s nothing wrong with vetting people for office through years of public service…”
“…Look, this man has done some stuff. And you’re gonna see it. The world is going to see it. Some stuff that’s going to make your hair stand up on its end. On your head. His head, too. [laughter] The front art. [laughter] This is the most ill equipped man in the history of this republic to sit in the White House. And every single day he walks around attacking all of the previous presidents. I mean, if, you know, I can’t get embarrassed anymore. People, a lot of people in Washington, they, two days ago, were embarrassed because he didn’t know the words to God Bless America. I, I wasn’t, I, I can’t get embarrassed by him anymore…”
“…I was in Europe and that’s all they wanted to talk about. The same thing, uh, about Donald Trump. What’s wrong with America? We are ceding our spot s the leader of the free world. Angela Merkel, right now, is the leader of the free world. [pause] And everybody in the world knows it…”
“…The people who believe in voter intimidation believe that the minute you make a political donation that you immediately need to turn all your information over to the government…”
Jefferson City, Mo. – State Senators Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, and Scott Sifton, D-St. Louis, are calling on Gov. Eric Greitens to clarify or recant his recent comments disparaging Missouri voters’ support of campaign finance transparency.
“Recently, Gov. Greitens went on the radio and seemingly called for an abolition of Missouri’s voter-approved campaign disclosure laws. Even for a Governor who prefers to operate from the shadows, this new call for complete and total darkness for his big dollar donors is troubling,” Sen. Holsman said. “I cannot truly believe that a Governor who recently admitted to breaking campaign finance laws would have the audacity to call for dismantling the very system that exposed his wrongdoing. The Governor needs to clarify or recant his statements so that the people of Missouri know where Eric Greitens stands on laws that protect against corruption and pay-to-play.”
During his interview with St. Louis radio station KMOX on Monday, the Governor criticized Missouri’s donor disclosure laws, which were recently reaffirmed by Missouri voters, saying:
“The people who believe in voter intimidation believe that the minute you make a political donation that you immediately need to turn all your information over to the government. You need to turn over your home address and your contact information, so that the government can turn around and publish that,” Greitens said.
The ‘people’ to which the Governor was referring, are the nearly 70 percent of the electorate that voted for strengthening Missouri’s current campaign finance laws, which include the disclosure requirements criticized by the Governor.
“Missouri’s ethics disclosure laws have provided a bedrock of transparency for decades. The Governor is wrong to malign transparency and disclosure,” Sen. Scott Sifton said. “The people have a right to know who is paying for campaigns.”
On November 8, 2016, Missouri voters overwhelming approved Constitutional Amendment 2 with 69.95 percent of the vote, far surpassing Gov. Greitens’ 51.14 percent vote total in that same election. Among its provisions, Constitutional Amendment 2 states that: ‘The people of the state of Missouri hereby find and declare that excessive campaign contributions to political candidates create the potential for corruption and the appearance of corruption … (and) … the interests of the public are best served by limiting campaign contributions, providing for full and timely disclosure of campaign contributions, and strong enforcement of campaign finance requirements.’
During his 2016 campaign for Governor Eric Greitens in a radio interview on the Politically Speaking Podcast with Jason Rosenbaum made the following statement:
“What I have found is the most important thing is there is transparency around the money, we have already seen these secretive super PACs where they don’t take any responsibility for what they are funding. We saw secretive super PACs who were attacking Tom Schweich where people hide behind these organizations. There will probably be more (super PACs) because that is how the game has always been played. I am very proud to tell people that I am stepping forward and you can see every single one of our donors because we are proud of our donors and we are proud of our campaign.”
The existence of Governor Greitens’ secret 501(C)(4) PAC, A New Missouri, ensures that he will continue to play the game like a ‘career politician’.
“Perhaps the Governor is no longer proud of his donors and wishes them to remain in the dark,” added Sen. Holsman. “Either way, his reversal of position on transparency is disappointing.”
###
There have been a few changes in the 2016 Attorney General race.
Former Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley (D) [2012 file photo].
Today former Cass County Prosecutor Teresa Hensley (D) announced her candidacy for Attorney General in 2016:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2015
[….]
FMR. PROSECUTOR TERESA HENSLEY ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL
Kansas City, MO – Today Democrat Teresa Hensley announced that she is starting her campaign to become Missouri’s next Attorney General.
“As a former prosecutor, I saw the pain and the devastation families experience when they’re the victims of violent crime. I saw parents who lost children to drunk drivers, and children who lost their innocence to abuse. But I also saw the power of justice in action. I saw people begin to put their lives back together after justice was served in a court of law,” said Hensley “That’s why I’m running. I have a unique understanding of the power and importance of the Office of the Attorney General. As the state’s top prosecutor, I will seek justice with honesty and integrity for Missouri’s families.”
Shortly after her announcement, Missouri State Senator Scott Sifton and former candidate for Attorney General offered his endorsement, “Teresa Hensley has the prosecutor experience we need in our next Attorney General. Her experience as a prosecutor far exceeds that of the other candidates in the field.”
Hensley stated she looked forward to continuing and expanding the Attorney General Office’s strong tradition of defending victims’ rights and protecting consumers against fraud. She was recognized for that work as Cass County Prosecutor and plans to continue it at the state level. Hensley will also prioritize protection of senior citizens from financial scams, and work with community leaders to create safer, more secure communities for Missouri families.
“As a prosecutor, I want an Attorney General who understands the rights of victims and has the experience of seeking justice,” said Jennifer Joyce, Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis, “That’s why I’m supporting Teresa Hensley to become the chief law enforcement officer for Missouri.”
Said Hensley, “I look forward to traveling the state, hearing from voters from all over, and working to win their support.”
# # #
About Teresa Hensley
Teresa Hensley has devoted her career to fighting for justice, the rights of victims, and protecting those most vulnerable in our communities. These qualities and experience make her ideally suited to become Missouri’s next Attorney General.
Hensley is a life-long Missourian. She began kindergarten at Raymore Elementary and remained at Raymore-Peculiar High School until graduating in 1977. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from William Jewell College and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri Kansas City Law School.
Hensley was appointed to the position of Cass County Prosecutor in January of 2005; she was elected to the position in November of 2006 and again in 2010 for a four-year term that began January 2011. Hensley received the 2010 Missouri Attorney General’s Justice Award for Domestic Violence Prevention. She participated as prosecutor in the Child Abuse Response Team, the Fire Investigation Team, and the DWI Task Force. In 2014, she was selected by the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (MAPA) to serve as Chair of the Missouri DWI and Traffic Safety Best Practices Committee.
Hensley remains active in the day-to-day life of the community. She served as a Raymore Alderman, Raymore Planning and Zoning Board member, and as a member of the Missouri Child Abuse and Neglect Review Board, as well as a board member of Hope Haven. She is currently a member of the Bel-Ray Sunrise Lions Club, the Harrisonville Rotary Club, the Harrisonville Business and Professional Women, and Beta Sigma Phi of Lake Winnebago.
Hensley is a family law mediator. She taught social studies at Leavenworth Public Schools in the Alternative Program and criminal law at William Jewell College. Before becoming Cass County Prosecutor in 2005, she was a partner and practicing attorney for fourteen years with the Hensley Law Firm in Raymore with her husband, Kenny.
She grew up in Raymore, Missouri, where her parents and family still reside. She opened a law office with her husband Kenny Hensley in 1991 in Raymore and was there until she became Prosecutor in 2005. Kenny and Teresa were married in 1979 and have one son, Frank, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Heather.
Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 attorney general campaign filed its July quarterly campaign finance report with the Missouri Ethics Commission on July 15th:
C081145: Citizens To Elect Kurt Schaefer Attorney General
Committee Type: Candidate
Po Box 1614 Party Affiliation: Republican
Columbia Mo 65205 Established Date: 04/04/2008
[….]
Information Reported On: 2015 – July Quarterly Report
Beginning Money on Hand $1,326,971.20
Monetary Receipts + $96,097.50
Monetary Expenditures – $38,920.56
Contributions Made – $0.00
Other Disbursements – $0.00
Subtotal $57,176.94
Ending Money On Hand $1,384,148.14
[emphasis added]
Not a particularly active fundraising quarter, though the cash on hand, at first glance, is impressive. There is $544,822.93 in outstanding indebtedness.
The contributions:
Contributions to Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 attorney general campaign reported on its July 2015 quarterly campaign finance report.
Contributions to Kurt Schaefer’s (r) 2016 attorney general campaign reported on its July 2015 quarterly campaign finance report.
The Cass County Democratic Committee held its annual Back to Blue Dinner in Belton on Saturday evening. Senator Scott Sifton (D), a candidate for Attorney General in 2016, was one of the featured speakers.
Senator Scott Sifton (D) speaking at the Cass County Democratic Committee annual
Back to Blue Dinner in Belton, Missouri on April 25, 2015. [photo: Jerry Schmidt]
Cass County Democrats held their annual Back to Blue Dinner in Belton on Saturday evening. As is their custom, they had a full slate of candidates and guests speaking to the crowd. A sample:
Jim White, the Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District.
Jim White (D): …And this is what I’m running on, investing in our citizens. We want to invest in their economic well-being. Fifteen bucks an hour and a union. A living wage for all workers. [applause, cheers] At the poverty level today there is only one household that can work for minimum wage and even reach the poverty level – and that’s a household with a single person and only if they work forty hours a week, fifty-two weeks a year, which, of course, they’re not gonna get to do. Uh, we all know that the path to the middle class has always been led by organized labor….
Patty Johnson, former Democratic Party legislative candidate.
Patty Johnson (D): ….We’re here because we care about the Democratic Party and because we care about Democratic principles. And how many of you here tonight have worked on someone’s campaign, made phone calls, walked door to door, or did parades? So you all believe, too. And I’m just here to remind you tonight how important your work is and to thank you all so much for all that you’ve done for all of us who’ve run for office and how much we still need for you to do. Jim [White] is going to need all your help. And I know we have a candidate for Attorney General here – and he’s going to need your help. So I’m asking you here tonight to remember why you’re here. The reason that you’re a Democratic is because you care about people, because you want everyone to have the same opportunities that we had growing up. You want your children to have an education, you want good jobs for them when they get out of school, and you all, we all want to have a decent retirement… [….] …We need your hard work. We need you to keep going. And I think that it’s already been referenced that you all realize there’s an election coming up in November of twenty-sixteen. The work for that election starts here tonight. You all have done something toward that because you’ve contributed money for tables and advertising and we appreciate that because that money goes to help us to help our candidates. And here in Cass County, God knows, we need a lot of help. [laughter] And I also want to recognize Janet Burlingame, too. And I want to recognize her for her courage and integrity in running her race for County Clerk and remaining a Democrat and staying true to her principles. For her [applause]…because that’s what makes us different than Republicans, we actually believe in something. We actually work towards those things we believe in. And I wanted to leave you all with a small visual tonight. We are surrounded by Republican darkness. And we can sit here and curse the darkness or we can light a candle. I choose to light a candle. And I hope you’ll leave here tonight with me and take that light out to the people who are sitting still in the darkness and who need our help and guidance to come back to light and the Democratic principles we believe in. So, thank you all so much for being here. [applause]….
Senator Scott Sifton, a Democratic Party candidate for Attorney General in 2016.
Senator Scott Sifton (D): ….And I, I gotta tell you, I know that the previous speaker was asked, uh, to keep her remarks brief. I was thinking of maybe showing you what a Senate filibuster is like, but I, I’m actually saving it for when the “right to work” bill comes to the floor of the Senate. [applause, cheers] There is only one way that bill is gonna come to a vote in the Senate and that’s if the Republicans exercise the nuclear option. I am proud to have been the last Democrat standing against the seventy-two hour waiting period, which was the last time the Republicans exercised the nuclear option. [applause] And there is no way in the world they will get me to sit down voluntarily when “right to work” comes to the floor. I will debate it all night long. [applause]….
Former Senator Wes Shoemyer (D): ….I don’t think that an insurance company that runs around calling their name Farm Bureau represents nobody in the agriculture world. [applause] [….]
….There are some things that really torque me about, uh, what Republicans have claimed and claimed to be….I recall when I was in Jeff City there was a piece of legislation that came up and, for, drug testing for TANF recipients. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Think about it. Now this was the only folks in the whole State of Missouri that got a check signed by the state treasury or federal treasury that we thought ought to pee in a cup to get their money. Think about it. I mean, I’ve had, the day I pee in my cup to get my farm payment probably it would be a good time we could do it for the folks on TANF, wouldn’t it? When Clark [inaudible] wants to pee in a cup for his forty million on his stadium [inaudible} I’ll pee in a cup, too. [applause, cheers]….
The Johnson County Democratic Committee held its annual Kirkpatrick dinner in Warrensburg yesterday evening with Senator Harold Caskey (D) as the honoree. Statewide office holders, candidates, colleagues, friends and over two hundred Democrats gathered for the speeches, the dinner, and an auction.
Candidates took the opportunity to circulate around the room before dinner, talking with and listening to party activists:
Jim White, the Democratic Party candidate in the 4th Congressional District.
Secretary of State Jason Kander, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2016, was the keynote speaker.
Senator Scott Sifton (left), a candidate for Attorney General in 2016, speaking with former Senator Bob Johnson.
Attorney General Chris Koster was also a featured speaker.
A Johnson County Democratic Party activist again slipped a sign on the stage while Chris Koster spoke to the audience during the dinner.
Ruth and Larry Moore, friends of Harold and Kay Caskey, spoke of their longtime friendship.
The evening included reminiscences of the personal and political past, humorous stories and quips – some which may or may not be true, a considerable amount of laughter – and a few groans, serious words about the future of Missouri and the country, and a good bit of Democratic Party politicking.
