JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Ethics Commission has dismissed one of the complaints claiming Republican gubernatorial nominee Eric Greitens’ campaign violated Missouri state law by taking a nearly $2 million donation from the SEALs for Truth PAC and attempting to conceal its origin.
In a letter sent to Greitens, the executive director of the MEC, James Klahr, writes “From the facts presented, the Commission finds no reasonable grounds exist to support a violation of Chapter 130, RSMo, and is dismissing the complaint.”
Read the letter here: Greitens MEC Letter
On July 18th, Greitens’ campaign received $1.975 million from a federal SuperPAC called SEALS for Truth, which had been established just a month earlier. At the time, it was the largest single campaign contribution in the history of Missouri, which led many to ask where the money really came from.
When the October federal election filing arrived, the records showed that SEALS for Truth had received $2 million from the American Policy Coalition Inc. on the same day that SEALS for Truth donated the $1.975 million to Greitens.
The American Policy Coalition was set up as a nonprofit corporation late last year in Kentucky. After making its $2 million donation to SEALS for Truth in July, the corporation dissolved on Oct. 1. All that remains of the corporation is a webpage featuring nothing but a logo.
Roy Temple, the chair Missouri Democratic Party, filed a complaint a few weeks back, asking the commission to investigate whether Greitens had illicitly taken “dark money” and attempted to hide its source.
Section 130.031.3, RSMo states:
“No contribution shall be made or accepted and no expenditure shall be made or incurred, directly or indirectly, in a fictitious name, in the name of another person, or by or through another person in such a manner as to conceal the identity of the actual source of the contribution or the actual recipient and purpose of the expenditure. Any person who receives contributions for a committee shall disclose to that committee’s treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate the recipient’s own name and address and the name and address of the actual source of each contribution such person has received for that committee. Any person who makes expenditures for a committee shall disclose to that committee’s treasurer, deputy treasurer or candidate such person’s own name and address, the name and address of each person to whom an expenditure has been made and the amount and purpose of the expenditures the person has made for that committee.”
Klahr writes that, under that statute, there is no evidence that Greitens for Missouri violated the law when it reported its contribution from SEALS for Truth. He says that American Policy Coalition is a ‘person’,and therefore, the way SEALS for Truth reported the contribution did not violate the law.
Greitens’ campaign manager, Austin Chambers, says the complaints filed against the Republican candidate and his campaign are an attempt to distract voters.
“When Missouri Democrats start losing on the issues, they file frivolous complaints in a hope to distract voters,” Chambers wrote in a statement to the Missouri Times. “They lose the complaints too, but they’d still rather talk about them instead of Koster’s support of Obamacare, donations from Planned Parenthood and Hillary Clinton, and his endorsement by the Communist Party.”
The Missouri Times spoke with members of the Missouri Democratic Party on the decision, who said once the commission rules, the decision is final.
Other complaints have been filed against Greitens for Missouri and are still being investigated at this time.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
