Historic political donation comes from obscure source
As candidates for Missouri’s governor release their final full disclosure before the August primary, a historic political donation comes from a murky source.
ABC 17 News reported last week when the Washington D.C-based group SEALs for Truth donated $1.975 million to Navy SEAL Eric Greitens’ campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. The July 18 contribution marked the largest single donation in state history, but it remains unclear exactly who’s money is involved in it.
Records with the Federal Elections Commission shows SEALs for Truth was formed on June 15, 2016. Its quarterly financial disclosure showed no money on hand by June 30. Yet 18 days later, the group would donate nearly $2 million to Greitens campaign. SEALs for Truth will have to disclose its donor list at the next quarterly report in October – months after the Missouri primary. The only other Missouri connection the group owns is the “314” area code for its phone number on its FEC form and news releases, which belongs to the St. Louis area.
Former state representative Carl Bearden from St. Charles County filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission on July 23, saying the donation, and Greitens’ acceptance of it, break state law. Candidates aren’t allowed to accept donations from out-of-state committees within 30 days of the election, Bearden’s complaint states. A political action committee like SEALs for Truth also must have some sort of documentation with the state before sending its money into a state race. The MEC, however, cannot accept complaints within 15 days of an election.
Neither Bearden nor the MEC returned ABC 17 News’ call for comment on the story.
Several calls to the SEALs for Truth number by ABC 17 News have gone to voicemail. The group has so far sent two news releases to ABC 17 News, with no name attached to it. SEALs for Truth said last week that Navy SEALs themselves make up In a media release today, SEALs For Truth called Bearden’s complaint “baseless,” and connecting him to fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Catherine Hanaway. The two served together in the Missouri House of Representatives in the early 2000s.
“SEALs for Truth is registered with the Federal Elections Commission and fully complies with all registration and reporting laws, including specific guidance from the Missouri Ethics Commission staff,” the statement reads. “It is clear this meritless complaint was filed for cynical political reasons because the Missouri Ethics Commission is prohibited from even accepting a complaint within fifteen days prior to the August 2nd primary election.”
The five active people campaigning for governor – Greitens, Hanaway, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, reitred businessman John Brunner for the Republicans, and Attorney General Chris Koster for the Democrats – have spent more than $26 million so far. While Greitens has raised the most money of Republicans at more than $8 million, Koster nearly doubles that figure at more than $15 million.
