Missouri mega-donor targeted in ethics complaint
By: Kurt Erickson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 4, 2017
JEFFERSON CITY • A Democratic state lawmaker is calling on Missouri ethics regulators to levy fines totaling $320,000 against a major Republican campaign donor.
In a complaint drafted Sept. 29, Rep. Mark Ellebracht of Liberty said Joplin roofing company magnate David Humphreys employed a lobbyist for the past two years who was not registered with the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The lobbyist, Paul Mouton, earlier admitted to the commission that he worked for Humphreys and discussed proposed legislation with state lawmakers and their staff members during the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions.
Mouton was fined $2,000 for not registering but will only have to pay $200 if he does not violate state lobbying laws within the next two years.
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Last month, a government watchdog group called on Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson to investigate Mouton for violations of state ethics violations.
The organization, Campaign for Accountability, called the fine a slap on the wrist for a “flagrant violation of state law.”