JEFFERSON CITY - Jay Nixon today admitted that he broke the law when he used a taxpayer financed state vehicle for political purposes by reimbursing the state for the arbitrary sum of $47,000.

Nixon’s reimbursement, however, is based solely on his office’s calculations and was in no way subject to outside scrutiny from, say, Democrat State Auditor Susan Montee, who has so far refused to review Nixon’s use of the state vehicle and staff for political purposes. In fact, Nixon lied in a previous audit by claiming he only used the state vehicle for official purposes, which violates state law governing information provided to auditors.

“It is impossible to take Jay Nixon’s word for the amount of money he owes taxpayers for his illegal activity because it took him getting caught in the first place to return the money. And the fact that Democrat Susan Montee refuses to review Nixon’s arbitrary reimbursement clearly shows that Democrats believe politics is more important than accountability,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Nixon’s ability to police himself in this very serious matter is like a thief who promises to pay back a victim only after he is caught and thrown in jail.”

Nixon’s self-calculated repayment comes after the attorney general’s office asked the Missouri Republican Party – for the first time — to pay for Nixon’s travel records sought through a Sunshine Law request. Previously, Nixon’s office has waived fees for Sunshine Law requests made by the Republican Party.

“Despite his so-called commitment to the Sunshine Law, Jay Nixon has decided that when it comes to his taxpayer-financed campaigning, Missourians will have pay for the truth,” Sloca said. “It’s also not surprising that Nixon made this announcement on a Friday like he did when he acknowledged he broke the law in the first place hoping that most Missourians wouldn’t be paying attention. Newsflash: they are. Before Nixon breaks his arm patting himself on the back for making restitution to the state, someone needs to investigate his calculations to ensure that he hasn’t continued to bilk the state.”