Kinder Creates New LLC to Finance Official Lawsuit - Will He Let the Sunshine In?

Submitted by .Sean on April 9, 2010 - 4:15pm

Peter Kinder created a new company yesterday , Health Care in Action, LLC, into which he hopes to raise money from private citizens and corporations to finance his prospective lawsuit against the federal government.  Kinder states that he owns 100% of the company in filings with the Secretary of State.
Kinder has made it clear that he intends to file the lawsuit as the Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, not as Pete, private citizen.  So that means -- if Kinder follows through -- a private company will be paying for him, and possibly paying him, to perform official acts.

The creation of this private entity also raises important questions about how much the public will know about who is financing Kinder's adventure. A few initial questions:

  • Why has Kinder chosen a for-profit business entity (an LLC) to raise money for his lawsuit?
  • As owner, will he be personally keeping any excess funds?
  • Will Kinder disclose donors and expenditures?  His legal filings to date are opaque and offer no assurance that contributions and expenditures will be publicly reported--- as they would be for the public entities.
  • Will he disclose LLC transactions on his personal finance disclosure report?
  • Will he solicit money from lobbyists?
  • Will Kinder's legal slush fund abide by the Sunshine Law?
  • Will Kinder register his fundraising organization as a charity with the Attorney General?

Kinder's new company is ostensibly about furthering the public good and financing official actions.  The public should expect the same sort of transparency and accountability with Health Care in Action, LLC that we would see in any other public entity.

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Documents on file with the Secretary of State's office: 

 

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