Former opponents file ethics complaint against Matt Blunt

By BOB WATSON
News Tribune

Four of the five Republicans who lost to Matt Blunt in this month's primary election race for governor have filed ethics complaints against him.

State law says Missouri's six-member Ethics Commission must decide within two weeks to clear a candidate named in a complaint, or pursue an investigation.

In this case, the complaints question his decision to use federal money for pre-primary get-out-the-vote ads that included Blunt's name and face.

Steven Reed of Springfield, founder and secretary of the group "Citizens for McCaskill," said he also has filed an ethics complaint against Blunt, along with those of Jennie Lee (Jen) Sievers, Jackson; Martin Lindstedt, Granby; Jeff Killian, Jackson; and Roy W. Lang, Davisville.

All five of the complaints challenge Blunt's use of nearly $48,000 in federal money from the Help America Vote Act to pay for the ads, which ran in many Missouri newspapers, including the News Tribune.

The ads included the message: "Missouri's chief election official, Matt Blunt, urges every eligible Missourian to vote in the August 3, 2004, primary election."

All five ethics complaints say the ads gave Blunt an unfair advantage in the GOP's governor's race primary.

Spence Jackson, Blunt's spokesman, said this morning the complaints are meritless.

He said the ads -- which he designed -- "were clearly designed to provide voters assistance in advance of the election, and during a time-frame when voters were thinking about the elections process."

He said that's the main purpose of the federal law that was used.

"As a result, our state set a record in turnout in an August primary election," he said.

Along with copies of some of the complaints, Reed's e-mail included a copy of an Aug. 9, 2004, confirmation letter, to Lindstedt, from the Ethics Commission's director, R.F. Connor.

However, said Mike Reid, the commission's director of compliance, state law prohibits the agency from publicly confirming or denying that any complaints have been filed or are being pursued.

Reporter Bob Watson can be contacted at bwatson@newstribune.com.

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Second Complaint To The Missouri Ethics Commission

Concerning RuntBlunt's Use of Taxpayer Dollars for RuntBlunt's Primary Campaign

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The Missouri 'Ethics' Commission Decides to Investigate RuntBlunt's Abuse of Taxpayer Funds

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Over to Martin 'Mad Dog' Lindstedt, Republican Candidate for Governor of Missouri -- 2004
Over to My Struggle -- The Rants of a Resistance Political Operative
Over to Thought for the Day
Over to Martin Lindstedt's CI Church & State WWW Page
Back to www.martinlindstedt.org or Patrick Henry On-Line