A legislative district committee controlled by Rep. Nathan Cooper (R-Cape Girardeau) has regularly served as a repository into which contributions are paid by recipients of fee offices and out of which thousands of dollars in fees have been paid to companies connected with Blunt appointment secretary James Harris, according to Missouri Ethics Commission reports.

Most notably, ethics filings indicate that --just one week in advance of the public announcement [1] of fee office awardees-- the 158th Republican legislative committee paid a fee of $4,000.00 [2] on February 2, 2005 to an outfit called Winning Solutions LLC. (Some may remember Winning Solutions as the corporation likely incorporated fraudulently [3] by someone who signed the name of a former Cooper law partner to the formation documents.) The 158th legislative committee reported making payment to Winning Solutions addressed at P.O. Box 222, Jefferson City, MO 65102.

Remarkably, that Jefferson City post office box is the same listed on lobbyist disclosure forms [4] as the address of Capitol Strategies, LLC. According corporate filings with the office of Secretary of State, Capitol Strategies LLC belongs to Jillian Lair [5]. Lair is the fiancée of Blunt Administration Director of Boards and Commissions James Harris and the associate of scandal-plagued lobbyist Jewell Patek.

So why was the 158th making surreptitious payments to Jillian Lair and --by extension-- James Harris?

The 158th District Legislative Committee is an obscure finance committee which has shared a treasurer with Nathan Cooper's candidate committee since January of 2005 [6], when Cooper took office in the Missouri House. Absent some good reason to give to such a committee or being directed by someone else to give, most political contributors would probably not target the 158th as a place to put their contributions. Of course, a look at the identities of some of the 158th's benefactors quickly reveals just such a reason.

Specifically, an alarming number of contributors to the 158th legislative district committee were individuals who benefited directly from Blunt administration fee offices, the award of which was overseen by appointments secretary James Harris. For example:

*T.R. Cole [7] of Cape Girardeau and Copi-Rite Inc. gave at least $1,700.00 to the 158th in 2005. Robin Cole of Copi-Rite [8] was the recipient of the Ste. Genevieve fee office.

*Rowland Farms of Dexter gave at least $1,000.00 [9] to the 158th in 2005. Rowland Farms is located at the same address as the residence of Ray Rowland, who was given the Dexter fee office [10].

*High Ridge Services LLC gave at least [11] $1,700.00 [12] to the 158th in 2005. High Ridge Services LLC [13] belongs to Derrick Good of Hillsboro, who was awarded the High Ridge fee office [14].

*Damir Huskic of St. Louis gave at least $500.00 [15] to the 158th Legsilative district committee in 2005. Huskic was named the fee agent [16] for the South Kingshighway fee office in 2005.

*William "Buddy" Hardin IV gave a minimum of $500.00 [17] to the 158th, and is the holder of the O'Fallon fee office [18].

*John McGowan gave at least $1,200.00 [19] to the 158th in 2005. McGowan was awarded the Olivette fee office [20].

*Former state representative Tom Burcham gave at least $500.00 to the 158th [21] in 2005. Burcham was awarded the Farmington license office [22].

These are just the instances that are apparent from a cursory search of online public records. Surely there are others that are yet to be discovered, as much of the reporting done by the 158th appears intentionally obfuscatory.

For instance, it is worth noting that the payment to Winning Solutions LLC, while made in February of 2005, was reported in an amendment to the April 2005 report that was filed in April of 2006, just days after the Fired Up post which outlined Cooper's monkey business with the corporate filings. That amendment clarified that the payment went to "Winning Solutions LLC" rather than "Winning Strategies LLC" as was initially reported.

Even utilizing reporting done in a manner intended to frustrate the public's right to transparency in elections, the facts which are apparent clearly illustrate a troublesome scheme. Cooper and the 158th legislative district committee were (and possibly still are) facilitating the flow of cash from folks who benefit from the award of certain fee offices to the individual responsible for awarding them.

Harris, Cooper and Governor Matt Blunt should each be called to account publicly for these transparently criminal transactions.