The Missouri House: "Where conflicts of interest bloom like dogwoods in spring"

In today's Post-Dispatch:

State Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, says he sees no problem serving as chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee while he runs for statewide office next year. Of course he doesn’t.

We’re talking about the Missouri House, after all, where conflicts of interest bloom like dogwoods in spring. During this year’s legislative session, Tom Smith, chief legislative aide to Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, ran a political consulting firm on the side. The previous speaker, Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, cut out the middle man and ran his own consulting firm.

This week, state Auditor Susan Montee — a Democrat whose job Mr. Icet hopes to win next year — criticized both the House and the state Senate for annually hustling lobbyists for tens of thousands of dollars for Christmas parties, receptions, food, gifts and trinkets. A spokesman for the speaker called Ms. Montee's audit a "non-story."

The sad thing is, given that Jefferson City is wallpapered with petty corruption, the spokesman is right.

I'm still amazed that Speaker Richard considers the audit findings a "non-story," but I guess I shouldn't be.  In April, Richard announced "he wasn’t interested in additional ethics reform," now that there are no longer campaign contribution limits.

Read the whole editorial here.