JEFFERSON CITY - In an act of unimaginable arrogance, Jay Nixon told Missourians and the media that his campaign finances are none of their business by refusing to say whether he would accept contributions during a two-day window in state law that allows statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly to accept unlimited contributions immediately before session begins.

Asked by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch yesterday whether he would accept contributions between January 1 and January 3 despite a state campaign finance reform law that takes effect January 3 prohibiting statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly from accepting such contributions during the legislative session, Nixon smugly remarked: "I don’t talk to the press about my fundraising strategy."

Nixon, who has often claimed to be a champion of openness in state government, previously told the Post-Dispatch that he would not be commenting on the loophole at all. Nixon also was a vocal opponent of the campaign finance reform legislation that allows for greater public scrutiny of the state’s campaign finance system.

“Jay Nixon’s refusal to come clean with Missourians and the media about whether he’ll put his political interests ahead of the spirit of the law is the ultimate example of political arrogance,” said Paul Sloca, communications director of the Missouri Republican Party. “Nixon also refused to discuss the $19,000 in backdoor contributions he took from Ameren while he was investigating the Taum Sauk collapse and only when the media exposed the scheme did he sheepishly return the money. It’s no wonder he wants to hide his campaign finance strategy where he extorts money from the targets of his investigations.”

Nixon also was critical of the legislation because it allows for unlimited political contributions after the legislative session ends but has refused to acknowledge that it was Democrat state Sen. Tim Green’s amendment to the legislation that allowed for such contributions.