Ethics complaints filed against congressional candidate Bill Stouffer
By Cara | December 1, 2009
With the recent state audits and ethics complaints, I find the trend for forcing accountability very refreshing with vast implications across the political spectrum – CJ
The race for Missouri’s 4th District Congressional race is heating up beyond the campaigning. A Warrensburg man has filed complaints with both the Federal Election Commission and the Missouri Ethics Commission regarding the campaign practices of Republican candidate Bill Stouffer, a State Senator from Napton.
Central Missouri University political science major Chris Brockway of Warrensburg, who identifies himself as a Democrat and a supporter of Congressman Ike Skelton, had the complaints notarized and filed on Monday. He alleges several violations of federal and state election and ethics laws. Included in the allegations is a complaint that Stouffer’s state committee, Friends of Bill Stouffer, paid $7,500 in consulting fees to Axiom Strategies of Kansas City. Brockway contends the consulting work had nothing to do with a possible statewide political campaign by Stouffer, but was actually an effort to test the waters for a congressional run.
The complaint further alleges State Senate staff members Aaron Baker and Heidi Kolkmeyer are state employees who are working for Stouffer’s federal election campaign. It is also claimed that Baker is attending Republican events during normal working hours.
Brockway’s closing paragraph in both the FEC and MEC complaints reiterates his concerns:
“I firmly believe that Senator Stouffer and his Senate staff have violated the public’s trust. Senator Stouffer is clearly using his state campaign funds to benefit his federal campaign. This is a major violation of federal campaign laws. The most serious charge is that taxpayer-paid staffers are not working for the State of Missouri, but are working for Stouffer for Congress.”
The Stouffer campaign has released a statement in response to the filing:
“The Stouffer for Congress campaign and the Friends of Bill Stouffer campaign has properly complied with all federal and state laws. Trumped up accusations from Democrat operatives is meant to distract folks from talking about Ike’s bad votes on cap and trade, deficit spending with Wall Street bailouts, so-called stimulus plans and his 95% voting record in support for Nancy Pelosi’s agenda. This kind of political smear is exactly the kind of Washington, DC politics rural Missouri is sick of and is yet another reason why Ike Skelton needs to go home after 3 decades in Washington.”
Both the Missouri Ethics Commission and Federal Election Commission are required, within five days, to notify Brockway of receipt of his complaint and to notify the Stouffer campaign that complaints have been received and will be investigated.
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