Governor Blunt Grants Official Favors To Those With Ties To His Father's Controversial PAC
Rep. Roy Blunt's PAC, the Rely On Your Beliefs fund has been in the news a great deal lately, mainly for its ties to Rep. Tom DeLay, the Alexander Strategy Group, and the clients of criminal Jack Abramoff.
For example there were major stories today by both the Associated Press and the Washington Post.
The contributions the ROYB fund made to Governor Matt Blunt's previous campaigns have also been called into question, causing some of the records to be subpoenaed by prosecutors.
From today's AP story:
Texas prosecutors recently subpoenaed records of
a series of financial transactions in 2000 between DeLay and Blunt that
were highlighted in a recent AP story.DeLay raised more money than he needed to throw
parties at the 2000 Republican National Convention and sent some of the
excess to Blunt through a series of donations that benefited the causes
of both men.After transfers between political organizations,
some of the money went to the campaign of Blunt's son, Matt, in his
successful 2000 campaign for secretary of state. Now the Republican
governor of Missouri, Matt Blunt eventually received more than $160,000
in 2000.
But thus far, the media has completely ignored the Governor's practice of awarding no bid fee offices to people with ties to his father's fundraising schemes.
Fired Up! previously reported that Tom Carter, a longtime fundraiser for Rep. Blunt and a man who helped plan the controversial activities at the 2000 Republican Convention, hosted by Rep. Tom DeLay and Rep. Roy Blunt was the recipient from Governor Blunt of three highly lucrative no bid fee offices. The contracts were awarded in the name of his wife, Leslie Carter.
In June of 2003, Rep. Blunt changed the treasurer of his Rely On Your Beliefs fund from Gordon Elliot to Ron Mark, of Republic, Mo.
So for two years, Mr. Mark has been overseeing the fundraising activities of Mr. Blunt's political arm and would be familiar with any activities the PAC might have undertaken at the direction of Rep. DeLay or Mr. Abramoff.
In February of 2005, at the same time Governor Blunt was naming the Carter's as fee agents for the Springfield and Ozark area, he named Ron Mark as the fee agent in Republic.
It seems that the folks reponsible for overseeing the activities of Rep. Blunt's ROYB fund, with all its ties to Rep. DeLay and Mr. Abramoff, are sure being taken care of by Governor Blunt.
This information may cause some of you concern. You might even be tempted to report this scheme to the U.S. Attorney so that it can be investigated. But here's the problem with that idea.
I'll let this excerpt from the Washington Post explain it to you:
Matt Blunt, the governor, has awarded one of the few remaining
patronage plums in the state -- franchises to collect fees for driver's
license renewals, tax payments for new cars and processing motor
vehicle titles and registrations that can provide recipients with as
much as $1 million over four years -- to the wife of U.S. Attorney Todd
P. Graves, Tracy Graves, and to Graves's brother-in-law, Todd Bartles.
The U.S. attorney's office has jurisdiction over Blunt's congressional
district and the state capitol.
For some reason, the words "special prosecutor" comes to mind.
