UPDATE: Gunn gives back a lot of money — and bolsters city Dems
As he awaited today’s Senate confirmation of his appointment to the Missouri Public Service Commission, Webster Groves lawyer Kevin Gunn spent Monday and Tuesday busily writing a bunch of refund checks.
According to his last campaign-finance report, filed Tuesday, Gunn returned $28,546.34 to various donors to his now-defunct Democratic campaign for the 15th District state Senate seat.
Most of the refunds were $300 apiece.
In addition, Gunn doled out contributions totalling about $45,000. The biggest beneficiary of Gunn’s last-minute largesse was the city of St. Louis’ Democratic Central Committee, which received two checks Monday totalling $38,000.
(A hat tip to the Arch City Chronicle for first reporting the donations.)
City Democratic Party chairman Brian Wahby said Gunn, a county resident, donated the money to city Democrats because “I think he wants to make sure the money is used in a way that supports the party.”
Wahby also had helped Gunn raise money for his Senate bid.
Other beneficiaries: The 2nd Congressional District Democrats (Gunn lives in the 3rd District) received $3,000, and the Democratic group in the 92nd state House District received $3,000.
Individual donations fo $650 and $300 went, respectively, to state Sen. Rita Days, D-Bel Nor, and state Rep. Jake Zimmerman, D-University City.
The donations and the give-backs depleted Gunn’s bank account, so he reported no money left in the bank as of Tuesday.
UPDATE: The state GOP is alleging a link between the donations and Gunn’s confirmation.
State GOP executive director Jared Craighead said in an e-release, that “it wasn’t until (Gunn) donated $44,000 to various Democrat Committees that the Senate approved on a voice vote Gunn’s appointment to serve as a Commissioner on the Public Service Commission. Democrats had previously filibustered consideration of his nomination. Upset with his decision to accept the appointment rather than run for the Senate seat vacated by Michael Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, Democrats delayed the vote until after the donations from his campaign committee to clear the bank.
“…’It’s very telling that Senate Democrats were willing to hold a member of their own Party hostage for campaign cash rather than honestly evaluating what was best for Missourians,’ ” Craighead said.
(1 votes, average: 1 out of 5)
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Wow- look at Gunn’s April quarterly report. A consultant (Martin Communication Group of Leawood, KS) made almost $ 145,000 in just a few short months on a campaign that never even got going! I wonder what he or she did for that much money?