Free Ride is a Moving Violation

With an implausible excuse worthy of a shirtless drug dealer on an episode of COPS, Matt Blunt is again in trouble with the law.

According to the Associated Press, Blunt never paid for the campaign tour bus he used extensively during the last election.

And he just appointed the bus owner to the powerful State Highway Commission. The appointee claims he rented the bus to Blunt, but never got around to billing him for it.  Really?

Missouri law is clear that when someone gives you something of value (a tour bus rental) and doesn't make you pay for it, it is a contribution to your campaign--- in this case, far in excess of the legal limit.

After Democrats filed an ethics charge against him, Blunt grabbed an early spring fig leaf and tried to cover himself.  He filed an amended campaign finance report attempting to show he owed the appointee money.  But without time to get together with his hacks and the appointee to make up a full story, all he could muster was a lame story.  His new report says he owes his appointee… at least $1.