Blunt Administration Manipulates Contracting Process To Benefit Major Donor
For months inside the Department of Corrections it's been common knowledge that the Blunt administration intends to privatize the operation of the prison canteens. Staff at the Department of Corrections drafted an RFP months ago, but so far, that draft RFP has been languishing on Director Larry Crawford's desk with no action. Meanwhile, the state employees who run the canteen operations have been in limbo, wondering how much longer they will have jobs.
When folks inside the department have inquired about why the contracting process has been suspended, they've been told, "there's a problem with Keefe." What does that mean? It means that Keefe Commissary Network has had some problems and that the Blunt administration has directed the Department of Corrections to hold off putting out the RFP until Keefe is in a position to be awarded the contract.
It turns out that Keefe Commissary Network is a St. Louis company with incredibly close ties to Senator Jim Talent and the Blunt administration. And that "problem" that Keefe is having?
Well, on July 5, 2006, the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida indicted two of Governor Jeb Bush's top former prison officials for taking more than $130,000 in kickbacks for helping to steer the prison contract for canteen services. The holder of the main contract is none other than the Keefe Commissary Network, and the bribes were paid by a subcontractor to Keefe.
The person at Keefe responsible for administration and performance under the contract with the Florida Department of Corrections was:
Tyler Alcorn
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
10880 Lin Page Place
St. Louis, Missouri 63132
314-919-4148 800-864-5986
facsimile number: 314-919-4109
talcorn@keefecommissary.net
Those of you who have followed Governor Blunt's fee office scandal closely will recognize that name. Mr. Alcorn is a V.P at Keefe, but he is also the recipient of the West County fee office from Governor Blunt.
It kind of makes you wonder, should someone responsible for managing a contract that ended up generating $130,000 in bribes to public officials really be running a fee office for the Governor? In addition to his duties at Keefe, and his fee office, Mr. Alcorn is also involved in the business of politics. Along with Garrett Lott, who is Senator Jim Talent's finance guy, Mr. Alcorn runs a firm called Communication Strategies, Inc. That firm provides "communications services" to groups like Rep. Sam Graves' Republican Sixth Congressional District Committee.
There are also other very close ties between the Blunt administration and Keefe Commissary Network. Since Governor Matt Blunt has been in office, betweeen executives and affiliated companies, the Keefe Commissary Network has given nearly $100,000 to the Republican Governor's Association, where Governor Blunt is one of the most prolific fundraisers.
And just last quarter, Doug Albrecht of Keefe, decided to solidify his ties with even more Missouri Republicans by dropping $25,000 into the Senate Majority Fund.
So now, perhaps it's more clear why the Department of Corrections has been holding the canteen RFP upon instructions from the Blunt administration. They've been waiting for the storm clouds to clear from the Florida indictments. So does that mean the Blunt's and the leadership team at Corrections already knows who is "supposed" to get the contract? It sure looks like it to me.
And as for the fact that Mr. Alcorn continues to operate a major fee office for the Governor, despite the problems in Florida, Revenue Director Trish Vincent says the system is working just fine.
