Democrat blasts Nixon’s political patronage scheme

June 30th, 2009

JEFFERSON CITY—In today’s Kansas City Star, a legislator of Jay Nixon’s own party blasted the governor for rewarding his campaign contributors with lucrative license offices. Despite Nixon’s campaign promise to end political patronage, Ray Salva, a Democratic State Representative from Sugar Creek, has revealed the truth behind Nixon’s hyped bidding process: “It’s all politics. Don’t let anybody fool you.”

Salva’s candid disclosure comes after several high-profile Democrats have been rewarded with fee offices, including James Montee in Lee’s Summit (which earned Nixon a rebuke from the St. Joseph News-Press), Ken Kielty in St Charles, and Paul Wrabec in Sugar Creek.

“Jay Nixon can say whatever he wants, but he has clearly broken his campaign promise to end political patronage. The problem is so apparent that editorial boards and even his fellow Democrats have begun criticizing him for continuing to dole out lucrative fee offices to his friends and donors,” said Lloyd Smith, Executive Director of the Missouri Republican Party. “We are glad that others, including Democrat office holders, have seen through Nixon’s ‘transparency’ charade and joined in the growing bipartisan chorus of condemnation for his shameless actions.”

To date, license office recipients are linked to $80,662 in campaign contributions to Nixon. This number includes donations from immediate family members and businesses. Absent is James Montee, an influential Democrat who has not donated directly to Nixon, but who is responsible for more than $100,000 in donations to various Democratic campaigns.

Four of the ten most lucrative offices have been awarded so far—Columbia, Lee’s Summit, Springfield-South Fremont, and St. Charles—and each one has gone to a donor linked to five figure contributions to Nixon or Democratic campaigns.

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