JEFFERSON CITY - Jay Nixon’s willingness to ignore serious conflicts of interest has reached a new high with the pro-abortion attorney general’s ludicrous decision to defend pro-life legislation despite his previous public admission that doing so constitutes a conflict of interest.

“‘I’m pro-choice, I have a conflict’ of interest,” Nixon told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in 1999 when he turned over the defense of a state funding ban for abortions challenged in court by Planned Parenthood to an outside attorney. That black-and-white comment contradicts Nixon’s statement today to the Post-Dispatch that he plans to defend anti-abortion legislation against a federal lawsuit filed by Planned Parenthood, a Nixon political contributor.

“Jay Nixon cannot defend anti-abortion legislation because he has said that he can’t. He has clearly admitted that his pro-abortion policies constitute a conflict of interest when it comes to defending anti-abortion legislation.” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “The only difference between 1999 and now is that Nixon is a candidate for governor who has been allowed to engage in unchecked, politically motivated, conflicts of interest. Nixon cannot be trusted to protect the interests of Missourians.”

For example, Nixon failed to defend campaign finance reform legislation that would have made the system more transparent for Missourians. Nixon declined to appeal a circuit court decision on campaign finance reform which led to its defeat at the Missouri Supreme Court. To add insult to injury, Nixon then asked the Supreme Court to require all unlimited contributions allowed under the previous law to be returned. In another stunning conflict of interest, Nixon’s former chief of staff Chuck Hatfield represented the opposing side in the campaign finance case.

“Jay Nixon has never vigorously defended state laws that he opposes politically,” Sloca said. “Jay Nixon took a dive in the campaign finance case and is about to do the same in the Planned Parenthood case.”