Consider the source
Residents of Senate District 12 recently received several negative campaign ads in the mail directed at J. Eggleston, one of the three candidates running for the district’s open seat. These ads were dishonest and misleading given that the candidate the PAC is trying to push you toward by disparaging Representative Eggleston’s votes, cast almost identical votes on the legislation referenced.
The mailings were sent out by a political action committee, a PAC.
Prior to 2016, anyone or any business could give any amount to a candidate. These contributions were then listed on the Missouri Ethics Commission’s website. Everything was transparent. In 2016, Missouri voters passed election reform, limiting contributions to candidates to the $2,000-$2,500 range, and only from individuals, not businesses. This has given rise to so called “dark money” contributions through PACs. If an ad comes in your mailbox that is negative or intentionally misleading, it won’t say paid for by “Mr. So and So,” they now say paid for by XYZ PAC, giving the candidate deniability.
Some investigation on the Missouri Ethics Commission’s website will reveal to you that the PAC responsible for the recent mailing is, “Great Northwest PAC, Amber Watson Treasurer.” Amber Watson’s phone number is 573-616-1845 with a P.O. Box in Jefferson City, Missouri. No “committee” actually exists. The treasurer controls the money and files the reports but there is no committee. If you spent some more time searching the PACs disclosure forms you would find a $100,000 contribution to this PAC in the previous quarterly report, by Herzog Contracting Corp. of St. Joseph, Missouri, telephone number, 816-233-9001, and another $50,000 contribution in the latest quarterly report.
Herzog and other corporations are contributing to PACs, who then fund the campaigns of individuals of their choosing, going around the campaign finance laws in the process. Combine that with the intentional efforts to mislead voters by the ad companies and you have dirty politics. Do your homework. Vote your conscious and ignore the dark money ads from the big boys.
Kyle Carroll
Maysville, Missouri