Pay-to-Play

Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse
in Kansas City

The Star's Steve Kraske:

The water is always cloudy, too, when it comes to federal probes. G-Men don’t talk to us media types.

But given the stakes, and being an inquisitive sort, you press on and talk to people who may or may not have been interviewed by FBI agents. And you eventually come to a conclusion:

Things are about to get very, very interesting.

We know this: The FBI has been extremely active. At least a handful of lawmakers in the state Capitol began talking to agents about a year ago in connection with “pay to play,” or the allegation of special interests forking over campaign contributions in exchange for action on legislation they care about.

Rep. Gary Dusenberg (R-Blue Springs) breaks the news: "pay to play" exists in the state legislature.

“Whether we admit it or not, it exists,” said Rep. Gary Dusenberg, R-Blue Springs, in an appearance before the House Committee on Government Accountability and Ethics Reform. “When people with lots of money get to say what bills are heard or not, that is not fair. These incidents do not pass the smell test, folks. You can say that they do, but they don’t.” [..]

Dusenberg is unusual in the sense that few Republicans support the restoration of [campaign contribution] limits. He is also one of the few lawmakers speaking out about the “pay to play” accusations.

“It is what it is, and we have to correct it, and if you can’t take a stand on what you believe in, you should not be here in the first place,” Dusenberg said. “It reflects on the people down here in the General Assembly.”

Yesterday in The Star, Jason Noble and Steve Kraske reported that Republican St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano has spoken with federal investigators about potential criminal activity involving the passage of 2005 legislation which prohibited the town from collecting revenues from a voter-approved 5% hotel tax. The bill was pushed by Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau), and Tim Drury, president of Drury Development Co. and supported by then-Speaker Rod Jetton.

Though the FBI spokespeople gave their standard refusal to comment on ongoing investigations, Pagano said the feds considered the issue "serious."

Pagano said he met with investigators at City Hall and provided documents concerning the hotel tax and the legislative action that overturned it.

"They kind of felt that this is serious and that they were going to bring it back and do a more thorough investigation," Pagano said.

Rep. Kevin Wilson (R-Neosho): "Things are better than they used to be but if somebody is going to go rogue and do things like this they should be investigated and action should be taken."

We can reasonably infer from his statement that Wilson believed the pay-to-play situation to be bad at some point in the recent past.

He has served in the General Assembly since 2003.

As you've probably seen by now:

FBI agents are investigating Missouri lawmakers in connection with several alleged “pay for play” schemes in which legislative favors are bestowed only after campaign donations are made...

The political culture in the state Capitol, those lawmakers talking with agents contend, has become tainted by pay-for-play activities in which virtually any legislative benefit — from committee assignments to gaining a hearing for a bill — comes with a price tag attached.

The price, they alleged, is typically a campaign contribution to a party or an individual lawmaker’s political committee.

Only one party in Jefferson City has been responsible for committee assignments and bill hearings for the last seven years.  

Maybe the chickens are coming home to roost for former GOP Speaker Rod Jetton and his General Counsel, Don Lograsso?  We'll see.