Next Tuesday is August primary election day in Missouri. While there are a number of critical contests taking place across the St. Louis region, one of the most significant ones for our City is the race between U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, a Democrat, -who currently serves as Congresswoman for the MO-01 District, and her challenger, state Sen. Steve “Silver Spoon” Roberts, Jr.
We are reluctant to add “Democrat” behind Roberts’ name at this time, because of recent discoveries in both his state and federal campaign disclosures that seem to suggest that Roberts may, in fact, be a de facto Republican. During the last legislative session, Roberts voted to defund Planned Parenthood and used his power as a state senator to draw a new congressional map that would be favorable to him, not based on the voters’ needs. Coupling his voting record with his ultra-wealthy privileged upbringing, no one should be surprised to learn that Roberts now relies so heavily on right-wing support for his bid for Congress.
Last week, a KSDK investigative reporter confronted Roberts about his connection to the “YACHAD PAC,” the Republican operative-led political action committee that has funneled tens of thousands of dollars from shell (read: sham) corporations registered to Roberts’ family members. Although the YACHAD PAC is not permitted to coordinate with Roberts’ candidate committee, the primary donor for the PAC is Roberts’ own roommate: his father and former alderman Steve Roberts, Sr. The YACHAD PAC, our readers will recall, was launched shortly after the younger Roberts spoke at the Israeli American Council (IAC) in Florida in December 2021. The PAC’s address in FEC filings allegedly is located at 1324 Clarkson Clayton Center, Suite #223, which is the same address as a West County Dierbergs.
Does he see an election opportunity against a first term incumbent in a year when he does not have to jeopardize his state Senate seat if he loses?
Perhaps an opportunity to avenge former congressman Lacy Clay’s ouster from Congress and a shot at accessing “dark money” – campaign contributions that cannot be traced to an individual donor. The YACHAD PAC, as it turns out, has been a channel of funding from Clay himself, Clay’s sister Michelle Clay, Clay’s former communications director Steve Englehardt, and longtime Republican operative Paul Zemitzsch of Clayton. Zemitzsch’s professional background includes advising every Republican in the Missouri Senate between 1992 and 2008, in addition to Republican St. Louis County Council members. He has a well-documented track record spanning decades of supporting Republicans – although occasionally, a conservative masquerading as a Democrat has caught his attention.
Zemitzsch is believed to be the founder of the “YACHAD PAC,” although registration paperwork shows a “Steve Zemitzsh.” No such person appears to exist and Paul Zemitzsch – who is very much a real person – said he didn’t know who “Steve Zemitzsh” is.
But his heavy reliance upon Republican operatives should not be the only red flag for voters going into Tuesday’s election. Roberts’ own FEC reports reveal very little local support outside of his wealthy family members’ individual contributions, most of which met the maximum contribution limits.
Roberts’ most enthusiastic local supporter?
Embattled developer Paul McKee, president of McEagle Properties (recently rebranded as “M Property Services”)?
To remind our readers, McKee is the wealthy St. Charles developer who surreptitiously acquired 1,500 acres of North City land, including primarily LRA (city-owned) properties. This massive acquisition forced long-time residents to vacate family homes and the bulldozing of hundreds of historic houses in Black neighborhoods. While he sat on the undeveloped, vacant properties, McKee claimed more than $40 million in tax credits through the now-defunct “NorthSide Regeneration project.” After McKee failed to develop the massive tract as promised, the city threatened legal action and he attempted to sell off parcels to other developers as well as back to the City at inflated prices. McKee’s failed scam to generate more state tax credits landed him in significant legal trouble with city, state, and federal governments, including an FBI investigation into tax fraud and a lawsuit filed by the Missouri Attorney General to recuperate the allegedly defrauded tax credits.
One of the few projects that McKee was able to salvage was the construction of a three-bed private medical clinic, a facility that McKee wants to call the “Homer G. Phillips Memorial Hospital.” Although McKee received $8 million in public funding, revenue generated by the facility in providing health services will go into McKee’s bank account: his financial gain while usurping the name of a legendary Black hospital.
But while almost every other elected official in the city promptly condemned McKee’s racist attempts to expropriate the legacy of the original Homer G. Phillips Hospital, including a scathing resolution opposing the move by the Board of Aldermen, Roberts remained noticeably silent on the public outrage about the exploitation of the historic Black landmark’s legacy committed by one of his biggest benefactors. Perhaps the most cringe-worthy part of Roberts’ silence on McKee’s exploitation of Homer G. Phillips is the fact that Roberts’ own maternal grandfather was trained as a surgeon at the original, highly-revered hospital. Roberts’ silence was seen as implicit approval of McKee’s plans to exploit the Homer G. Phillips Hospital’s name.
Not only did Roberts look the other way as McKee and his surrogates, including former long-time Clay staffer and McKee lawyer Darryl Piggee, defended his disrespect, but he continued to take campaign contributions from McKee while doing so.
McKee himself has given Roberts thousands in support of his state and federal campaigns through McKee’s many undisclosed PACs. McKee was even spotted by protesters as he walked into one of “Silver Spoon Steve’s” 1st Congressional campaign fundraisers at a mansion on a Central West End private street.
Perhaps the most insidious part of Roberts’ run for MO-01 has been his direct use of South City Democrats’ political playbook of misdirection and racism. We refer to several incidents throughout Roberts’ chaotic campaign, including inexplicable public attacks against his former romantic partner, Palestinian activist Neveen Ayesh. What the younger Roberts fails to recognize is how his behavior, through the entirety of his disastrous congressional run, has revealed his inability to compete at this political level.
Aside from credible sexual assault allegations and messy break-ups, what specific policy positions does Steve Roberts support? Where does he stand on issues important to 1st Congressional District voters?
Even if Roberts had a substantive platform, his policies have been drowned out by his campaign’s participation in typical dirty politics. Our City has a lengthy and sinister history of white party bosses recruiting candidates to run against well-supported Black candidates with the specific intent to undermine Black political power.
Since Black residents have been able to vote and hold more substantial political office, St. Louis’ white party bosses have stood in the way, to curb Black leaders and to limit Black power. These “ploys” didn’t stop in the 70s, 80s, or 90s; we need look no further than former mayor Vince Schoemehl recruiting Alderwoman Cara Spencer to run against then-Treasurer Tishaura O. Jones for the vacant mayor seat left open by Lyda Krewson. Despite Jones’ early announcement to run for mayor and Spencer’s own indications that she was still unsure about a citywide race, Schoemehl and the remnants of his political followers convinced Spencer to run – ultimately at Spencer’s expense.
On August 2, we hope that voters will consider the public conduct of “Silver Spoon Steve” during this congressional campaign: from receiving campaign dollars from a dark money PAC founded with possibly fake names to his abhorrent attempts to besmirch the legacy of the late Hon. Cora Faith Walker and reportedly trying to scrub his Wikipedia page of multiple allegations of sexual assault against him.
Roberts lacks the high voter regard and seasoning he will need to be elected to any higher office. His time in the Missouri Legislature as both a representative and state senator have not prepared him for the next political level. As voters decide between him and the dynamic, “People First” activities of Rep. Cori Bush, the choice seems like an easy one to make.