The Unablogger
Missouri Votes Conservation is a political action committee. It claims to be a “non-partisan” organization, but its endorsements are overwhelmingly Democrat. Of the 38 candidates that MVC endorsed this year, not one was a Republican candidate who will face Democratic opposition in November. The two token Republican endorsees were an incumbent (who is a partner in a law firm that is a major MVC donor) who is running unopposed, and a candidate in a district in which MVC also endorsed a Democrat. (Neither MVC candidate in that district survived the primary.) MVC is affiliated with the League of Conservation Voters, which has been spending big bucks on sleazy television ads attacking Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO), the Republican nominee for the Republican held U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Kit Bond (R-MO). MVC notes on its web site that LCV declared Democrat Robin Carnahan’s race against Blunt to be its “#1 National Priority.”
MVC is putting on a fancy cocktail fundraising reception in October to help fund its “nonpartisan” contributions to its endorsed political candidates. That is their right. But the invitation lists St. Louis Community College as one of its “Green Advocate” sponsors of the event. “Green Advocate” status requires a contribution to MVC of at least $500.
St. Louis Community College, of course, is a taxpayer-funded government entity. What business does it have taking tax dollars and giving them to a political action committee that gives those dollars to political candidates? I’m pretty sure that’s illegal. But I haven’t heard a peep about this from the Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster, whose job includes supervision of tax-exempt entities, or Missouri State Auditor Susan Montee, who is supposed to audit governmental entities. Both Koster and Montee are Democrats, whose party benefits from the college’s transgressions.
I haven’t been able to verify St. Louis Community College’s contribution independently. The only contribution that MVC has reported to the Missouri Ethics Commission since 2008 was $12,500 transferred on August 20, 2010, from a Washington, DC entity called “LCV 527 – Missouri,” presumably a Section 527 affiliate of LCV. However, if MVC made no contributions to any candidate in the August primary, any contributions it received since June 30 that did not exceed $5,000 don’t have to be reported until October 15. Like any other person or entity that is not a political committee, St. Louis Community College is not required to report its contributions to committees.
The public is entitled to an explanation.
The Unablogger 