JEFFERSON CITY - State Auditor Susan Montee’s refusal to audit fellow Democrat Jay Nixon’s payments for his misuse of a state vehicle and her requirement that the lieutenant governor provide such an accounting clearly illustrates the political double standard Montee has set up in her supposedly non-partisan state office.

Montee launched a re-examination of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder’s overpaid reimbursement to the state only after Nixon was exposed for secretly and illegally using a state vehicle for political purposes. Not surprisingly, Kinder was given a clean bill of health. Montee has the authority to open an audit at any time, but she refuses to do so in Nixon’s case despite the seriousness and timeliness of the issue.

Montee’s decision to bury her politically-motivated head in the sand came despite an October 27 report by TheAssociated Press report noting that the Office of Administration has been forced to seek verification that the $47,000 repaid by Nixon was the "proper and adequate" amount of restitution. It’s sad that the Office of Administration is being forced to do the auditor’s job and it’s not surprising Montee conveniently looked to them to place blame.

“Susan Montee’s failure to hold fellow Democrat Jay Nixon to the same standard as Republican Peter Kinder clearly illustrates that she has one set of standards for Republican state officials and another set of standards for Democrats like Jay Nixon,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Missourians should be outraged that the so-called government watchdog of Missouri is willing to examine Republicans while intentionally allowing Democrats to conduct illegal activities without any independent scrutiny.”