JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Top Republicans in Missouri are calling for a federal investigation into anonymous mailers that disparage the GOP candidate in the final countdown to election day.
Registered voters throughout the state received pieces of mail encouraging voters to support third party candidates. The ads, which started appearing in mailboxes this week, have no disclaimer stating who funded the mailer, as required by law.
“Missourians deserve to know where these mailers are coming from, and why they failed to use a federal disclaimer on the mailers. That’s why I’m calling for the FBI to investigate these dark money mailers,” Missouri Treasurer Eric Schmitt said. “Claire McCaskill may have denounced the mailers, but the fact that these dark money groups are copying her attacks on Josh Hawley is no coincidence.”
MOGOP Chairman Todd Graves supported Treasurer Schmitt’s call for an FBI investigation, “I think it’s a trick on Republican voters to try to trick them into thinking there are more conservative candidates than Josh Hawley.”
The mailers criticize Hawley for his position on gun rights and other issues while advocating for either Independent candidate Craig O’Dear or Libertarian candidate Japeth Campbell — both of whom have denied involvement with the ads. McCaskill has also denied involvement.
As of Friday morning, with four days until the general election, outside groups have poured $75.5 million into Missouri’s U.S. Senate race. Nearly $40 million has been spent attacking the incumbent Democrat while $29 million has been spent opposing Missouri’s Attorney General.
The race the represent the Show-Me State in the U.S. Senate has seen the second most amount of spending from outside groups in the nation. The only race organizations have poured more funding into is the Florida Senate race.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
