JEFFERSON CITY – Candidate Jay Nixon ignored environmental violations at his family’s sewage treatment plant for more than a decade and now he is trying to smooth over the entire issue by filing a lawsuit over similar issues against a Missouri chemical company.

For more than a decade, Nixon turned a blind eye to issues at the Raintree Plantation, the operating company of Nixon’s family sewage treatment plant, while serious environmental damage was taking place in Jefferson County. The problems at the facility were first brought to light in 1991 by Michael Wolff who is currently Chief Justice of the Missouri Supreme Court. And it’s no coincidence that Nixon has received ten of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from Raintree.

It wasn’t until the media exposed Nixon that he publicly recused himself from the Raintree case. The Environmental Protection Agency, along with the state Department of Natural Resources, demanded just months ago that Raintree Plantation clean up overflowing sewage that contaminates Jefferson County waterways and affects area residents.

While Nixon was embarrassed in the Raintree case, he is desperately trying to boost his pathetic environmental credentials with a lawsuit against a Paris, Mo. chemical plant. J.P. Carman, owner and operator of the plant, told the Hannibal Courier-Post on March 23: “It’s a Nixon for governor ploy.” Carman also noted that the lawsuit was already on Nixon’s campaign web site.

“Jay Nixon’s nepotism was exposed by the media and now he’s chosen to try and redeem himself with this lawsuit,” said Lesley Randolph, deputy communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “It would be refreshing if Jay would fairly and equitably enforce the law and have his family account for the environmental devastation that they have caused our state. Unfortunately campaign contributions and family favoritism seem to be standing in the way of Nixon doing his job.”