Gov. Nixon signs paid consultants ethics bill

Governor Jay Nixon has signed a bill prohibiting statewide elected officials and members of the General Assembly from serving as paid political consultants for other elected officials or candidates for those offices. The bill is one of several related to ethics reform, one of the top priorities for this legislative session.

It also bars elected officials from serving as paid consultants for committees that support a candidate, issue, or ballot measure.

“Members of the General Assembly are here to represent their taxpaying constituents, not cash in on their political connections,” said Gov. Nixon. “Banning officeholders from paying each other for political advice is an important step in the right direction, and I thank Representative Dogan and Senator Munzlinger for their work to get this legislation to my desk. It’s important to note that the bill I signed today is just a first step. There is more work to do, and I have been very clear about the measures that are necessary to restore the public’s trust.”