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Harris: “After 100 Days, Time for Koster to Put Money Where His Mouth Is” | Missouri Political News Service

Harris: “After 100 Days, Time for Koster to Put Money Where His Mouth Is”

November 9th, 2007 by mopns · No Comments

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Friday, November 9, 2007

Contact: Christian Badger
(573)442-7980

A Democrat for 100 Days, Koster Still Hasn’t Returned His Over-Limit Contribution or Thousands in Funneled Cash from Right-Wing Billionaire

Columbia – Tomorrow will mark 100 days since Republican Senator Chris Koster told Missourians he had decided to be a Democrat. In the days following that announcement, however, Koster has yet to walk the walk when it comes to standing up for Democratic principles, including complying with the campaign finance limits that Missouri voters made law.

Koster has still failed to return his over-limit contributions, while his two Democratic opponents for Attorney General have both stepped up since the Supreme Court ruling in July and returned their over-the-limit donations. Koster has even thumbed his nose at Missourians by accepting nearly $100,000 in funneled cash from a single conservative donor named Right Wing Rex Sinquefield. 1

Along with Representative Jeff Harris, the Missouri Education Roundtable has called on candidates to reject Sinquefield’s money, because of Sinquefield’s support for measures hostile to public schools. The Roundtable said Sinquefield is “attempting to buy candidates through massive campaign contributions that violate the spirit of contribution limits in Missouri.”2

“Only one candidate for Attorney General has refused to respect the Supreme Court decision, and only one candidate has taken money from Right Wing Rex Sinquefield,” Representative Jeff Harris said. “Missourians have grown tired of politicians like George Bush and Matt Blunt who say one thing but then do another. If Chris Koster won’t stand up for our values on campaign finance, then why should Democrats take him at his word on anything after he voted with Blunt to gut Medicaid, to disenfranchise voters, and to eliminate local environmental protections against corporate hog lots?”

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1 Koster Campaign Committee Disclosure Report, Oct. 15, 2007: http://www.mec.mo.gov/CampaignFinanceReports/CFFilerPDFs/FullReport/FullReport.aspx?CDRCP_id=9572&MyYear=2007

2 Kansas City Star, Oct. 24, 2007: http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/7789

Chris Koster Campaign Finance Timeline:

July 19: Missouri Supreme Court re-instates campaign contribution limits – (113 Days Ago)

August 2: Koster says he’s a Democrat – (99 Days Ago)

September 28: Koster accepts nearly $100,000 in funneled cash from conservative billionaire Rex “Rightwing” Sinqufield – (42 Days Ago)

October 17: Jeff Harris calls on Koster to return Right Wing Rex’s money – (23 Days Ago)

October 24: Missouri Education Roundtable urges candidates to refuse money from Sinquefield – (16 Days Ago)

Related:

MOPNS Video: Sen. Chris Koster’s Party Switch Press Conference (8/01/07)

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/gHdQFgbSZNI" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

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Tags: Decision '08

0 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Maves // Nov 11, 2007 at 4:21 pm

    I do not see any reason why he should have to return any funds he has received. It seems apparent to me that he accepted the money because he agrees with some of Rex’s views. Personally, I agree with his views as well. The schools have been hurting for some time now. Additionally, the schools in St. Louis were recently unaccrediated. That should be a red flag to everyone. Rex is trying to solve that major problem. Sticking with the schools as they are is obviously not doing the trick. Why can’t people be open to another solution? If they really care about the kids, they would be open to the idea of change. How long must the schools keep failng before they try something new. Missouri needed someone like Rex to take a stand and do something!

  • 2 matineeidol // Nov 11, 2007 at 8:54 pm

    I’m a little skeptical about Harris’ run against Koster–all I’ve heard from Harris is why Dems shouldn’t vote for Koster, but nothing about why they SHOULD vote for Harris instead. I think for a lot of people that kind of campaigning is really tired.

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