Today, the Missouri Citizen Education Fund released a new report, “Rex Sinquefield: The Money Behind the Vote.” This report analyzes the political contributions of St. Louis millionaire and conservative President of the Show-Me Institute, Rex Sinquefield.
He has voiced his opposition to contribution limits and his support for private school vouchers. Sinquefield has made campaign contributions personally and through the 100 Political Action Committees (PACs) he created last September. Four Missouri teachers recently filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission against Rex Sinquefield, accusing him of violating Missouri’s Campaign Finance Act by skirting money through these PACs.
This report highlights contributions made to members of the Senate Pensions, Veterans’ Affairs and General Laws Committee. Through his PACs, he gave a total of $168,700 to five members of this committee. These senators are Jason Crowell, Chris Koster, Scott Rupp, Gary Nodler, and Jeff Smith. On February 20, two bills, SB 993 and SB 770 were combined into one ominous pro-voucher bill named SCS SBs 993 & 770 and passed through the committee. The following day all but one member of this committee voted yes on SB 1038, which removes campaign contribution limits.
This legislation is currently on the Senate’s Informal Calendar for Perfection as of April 2, 2008. The bill is likely to be taken up again this week.
“Rex Sinquefield’s contributions and influence within Missouri’s legislature seems to be endless,” said Greg Shufeldt of the Missouri Citizen Education Fund, “the progress of SBs 993 & 770 shows what Sinquefield can do with his money.”
The Missouri Citizen Education Fund has issued a series of reports detailing the financial contributions in Missouri of pro-voucher supporters and organizations. For a full copy of the report, Rex Sinquefield: The Money Behind the Vote and previous reports, call MCEF’s office at 314-531-2288 or visit the website at http://www.missouriprovote.org/MCEF.asp.