News Release 404

NIXON CONTINUES TO AVOID QUESTIONS
ON USE OF STATE PROPERTY FOR POLITICAL PURPOSES

Volume 36-404

Contact: Connie Patterson

(For immediate release)

573-751-1010

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, July 3, 2008 -- Attorney General Jay Nixon still has not responded to a request from Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers asking why staff in Nixon's office used official state government resources to communicate with interest groups, political supporters and a contributor to his campaign for governor from a state e-mail account.

Back in May, Childers asked Nixon's office to explain contacts with interest groups, political supporters and campaign contributors about official state business before official action was announced.

E-mail records show that on May 25, 2005, the day before Nixon filed the Boonville Bridge lawsuit, two of Nixon's top aides, Mary Still and Scott Holste, used their state e-mail to contact interest groups, political supporters and Dave Bedan, a campaign contributor to Nixon, to inform them of Nixon's intention to file the lawsuit. The aides also requested the recipients build political support for the lawsuit before Nixon even filed it.

"The political e-mails sent by Jay Nixon's office to special interests and a campaign donor in advance of filing the Boonville Bridge lawsuit remain a serious concern to me," said Childers.  "Because Jay Nixon has apparently ignored my request to explain the use of official state government resources to communicate with interest groups and political supporters from a state e-mail account, I can only conclude that his pursuit of the Boonville Bridge lawsuit was politically motivated.  This issue is not going away, and I am calling on Jay Nixon to immediately answer the questions I posed to him in May.  Jay Nixon must be held accountable for allowing his staff to use taxpayer resources for politics."

The Department of Natural Resources estimates that Nixon's failed lawsuit cost Missouri taxpayers close to $300,000.  However, Nixon has failed to provide documents showing how much staff, time and expense his office devoted to the effort as well as the timesheets and expense reports related to the litigation.  Documents reflecting the expenditure of state resources cannot be closed under the Sunshine Law.

In the end, Nixon was ultimately defeated at every level of court in the state, including the Missouri Supreme Court in February.  The State of Missouri does not own the bridge.  To prevent being forced to take private property without compensation and to protect the taxpayers' interest against the significant financial liability of the unused bridge, the Department of Natural Resources was forced to hire outside counsel, again at public expense.

Records show that unbeknownst to the department at the time the lawsuit was filed, Jay Nixon's office was using taxpayer-funded resources to try and use the Boonville Bridge issue to gain political support.

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