AP NewsBreak: Blunt, Nixon trying to redirect refund checks

By DAVID A. LIEB
Associated Press Writer

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican Gov. Matt Blunt and his Democratic challenger, Attorney General Jay Nixon, have begun refunding millions of dollars to big donors in compliance with a state Supreme Court decision reinstating Missouri’s campaign contribution limits.

But Blunt and Nixon both are trying to redirect that money to their state political parties, which could still use it for their benefit.

Along with his refund checks to contributors, Blunt has enclosed a self-addressed stamped envelop and a contribution form to the state Republican Party.

“The Missouri Republican Party can still accept unlimited contributions,” Blunt wrote in a letter accompanying the refund checks. “I would encourage you to make a generous contribution to that important organization.”

Nixon also has included a letter with his campaign refund checks. It offers no similar encouragement on what to do with the money, but a Nixon spokesman confirmed the campaign is calling some donors to point out that they can give the money to the Missouri Democratic Party or the Democratic Governors Association.

Blunt and Nixon are expected to face each other in the 2008 gubernatorial election. Their campaigns provided copies of the letters accompanying their refund checks at the request of The Associated Press.

Blunt signed a law last year repealing Missouri’s campaign contribution limits, effective this past January. He said it would make it easier for Missourians to track campaign money by doing away with a system in which some big donors simply funneled money to candidates through numerous political committees.

But the state Supreme Court reinstated the limits in a July decision, striking down the law that repealed them because it had been linked by lawmakers to another provision found to be unconstitutional. The court left it to the Ethics Commission to enforce its ruling.

Most candidates are voluntarily refunding the money instead of asking the Ethics Commission for an exception. Blunt tops all candidates with nearly $4.5 million in over-the-limit contributions that he is refunding; Nixon is second at more than $1.3 million.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Robert Connor said there is nothing wrong with candidates encouraging donors to redirect their money to political party committees, as long as there is no “caveat that you give it to them, they give it me.” He cited a formal Ethics Commission opinion from 2000.

Under the reinstated Missouri law, candidates for statewide office can receive up to $1,275 per election from individuals, businesses and interest groups. But they can take up to $12,750 in cash contributions per election from political party committees, plus an additional $12,750 of in-kind aid from party committees.

State political parties can transfer money to numerous local political party committees, which can each give money to the candidates. Political party committees also can run ads on behalf of candidates, as long as they don’t coordinate the efforts.

The Republican Party, for example, has been airing radio ads critical of Nixon for several months already.

Asked at a news conference Tuesday if he hoped the Republican Party would direct some of rerouted money back to his campaign, Blunt noted that it could benefit not only himself but any other Republican candidate.

“I’m hopeful that it will be put to good use,” Blunt said, “and obviously I don’t direct the funds that the Missouri Republican Party receives.”

Republican Party Executive Director Jared Craighead and Democratic Party spokesman Jack Cardetti said their parties were not tracking how much money came in as a result of the redirected refunds from their gubernatorial candidates.

But both said some of the money would undoubtedly be used to help Blunt or Nixon, since they are the parties’ top candidates next year.

Blunt, Nixon trying to redirect campaign refund checks

By Brad Belote

Story Created: Dec 18, 2007 Story Updated: Dec 18, 2007

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Governor Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon have begun refunding millions of dollars worth of big
campaign contributions.

But they are both trying to redirect that money to their
political parties.

The refunds are a result of a Supreme Court ruling in July that reinstated Missouri’s campaign contribution limits. Candidates are
giving back the big checks they received while the limits were off.

Bunt is mailing the refund checks along with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a contribution form to the state Republican Party. A letter encourages his donors to make a generous
contribution to the Republican party.

Nixon’s refund letter includes no similar language. But a Nixon spokesman confirms the campaign is making phone calls asking donors to give the money to the Democratic Party.