In what apparently is a post-session GOP plan, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources — and soon afterwards, the state Republican Party — has gone on the attack today against Attorney General Jay Nixon, the likely Democratic nominee for governor.

 DNR director Doyle Childers today accused Nixon of allowing his official staff “to communicate with interest groups and political supporters from a state e-mail account.”

At issue are e-mails allegedly sent three years ago from Nixon aides Scott Holste and Mary Still (the latter since retired and now a candidate for the state House) to various pro-nature groups (Audubon Society, Trailnet and Greenway Network) “the day before Nixon filed the Boonville Bridge lawsuit.”

The e-mails gave the groups a heads-up about the lawsuit.

In that lawsuit, Nixon sought to prevent DNR from allowing the demolition of the historic Boonville bridge by Union Pacific Corp., the bridge’s owner. The bridge had been abandoned and was being touted as part of the Katy trail.

Some of the lawsuit was dismissed, while other parts remain active.

Childers contends that the e-mails show improper political activity by Holste and Still. That accusation was first made three years ago by the Republicans, and then replayed last year by the Republican blog, Missouri Pulse.

Fireupmissouri (which jabs us over this post) offers up a link to the old GOP attacks on this issue.

(It’s unclear how the Holste-Still e-mails are somehow more political than the the e-mails that Ed Martin, then chief of staff to Gov. Matt Blunt, sent last August to various anti-abortion groups via his state account asking them to tell the state Health Department they wanted Nixon tossed off as the department’s lawyer in a case involving Planned Parenthood.  But we digress…)

Childers has asked for a response from Nixon’s office by May 27.

What’s particularly interesting is the timing of Childers’ latest e-attack against Nixon. It’s the first business day after the end of the legislative session.  When Political Fix finds out the reason for the timing, we’ll post it.

Nixon’s staff said this afternoon that they weren’t commenting.

Shortly after Childers’ e-mail was sent out, the Missouri Republican Party followed suit with an e-blast at Nixon over his defense of the state campaign-donation limits. The Republican-led Legislature passed a measure last Friday that repeals the limits as of Aug. 28, assuming Blunt signs it.