Matzdorff

Turns out that Gov. Matt Blunt has long washed his hands — or, at least, his campaign account — of the crooked former telecom exec currently being used as an attack on Democratic attorney general hopeful Chris Koster.

The source of Koster’s trouble is an ad this week from Republican Mike Gibbons seeking to tie his rival to the convicted felon.

“As a county prosecutor,” the ad says of Koster, “he took contributions from the wife of an FBI-identified front man for the Gambino crime family.”

The so-called front man is Kenneth Matzdorff, whose wife gave Koster’s campaign for Cass County prosecutor $575 in 2003 — before her husband was accused of any wrong doing.

In 2005, Matzdorff, former head of the Cass County Telephone Co., plead guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges for his role in a bill-padding scheme that kicked up money to the Gambino crime family.

Prior to getting busted, Matzdorff or his wife gave money to Brad Lager, now the Republican nominee for state treasurer; Former State House Speaker Catherine Hanaway, currently the U.S. Attorney in St. Louis; and Blunt.

Only a Blunt aide pointed out recently that the governor did not keep the money. Instead, after Matzdorff was indicted in 2004, Blunt donated the contribution of $2,350 to the Boys and Girls Town in Springfield.