Slay campaign paid city counselor $10,000 for legal advice
Hageman
ST. LOUIS — Not only did Mayor Francis Slay hire his regular chief of staff as campaign manager, but his interim chief of staff — the city’s top lawyer — was on the campaign payroll, as well.
According to documents filed last week with the state Ethics Commission, Slay paid City Counselor Patti Hageman $10,000 for “legal fees.”
Hageman, who heads the city’s Law Department, served as Slay’s chief of staff while the current occupant of that post, Jeff Rainford, took leave to run the mayor’s successful bid for a third term.
There is nothing unlawful, per se, about hiring government employees to do campaign work, but it has to be on their own time — not the taxpayer’s.
Campaign spokesman Richard Callow said hiring Hageman was done in an “excess of caution” to have a trusted lawyer available for any legal issues that emerged during the election season.
“Elections generate lots of questions,” Callow said in an e-mail. “You want 100 percent accurate info 24/7, if you need it.”
Hageman, though, wouldn’t have been available “24/7″ — most of the time, she would have been on the clock at City Hall, and, of course, unable to answer any campaign questions.
For a mayor who doesn’t have to worry about re-election for another four years, Slay has a healthy bank account: The mayor’s report lists $181,154 cash on hand.
But even with re-election behind him, Slay found plenty of ways to spend the money. Slay gave $1,000 to the Friends of the Soldiers Memorial; $2,000 to the activist group ACORN for phone bank services; $250 to a picnic for election judges; and $3,000 for sporting events — $2,800 for the Cardinals, and $200 for the River City Rage indoor football team in St. Charles.
Is this news? He paid for legal advice from someone he trusted. Good and smart.
I see no problems here. This staff is really comprised of his political machine. Of course they work for him…when a new mayor takes over, he/she will fire all of these people and bring in their own political machine and do the same thing. Even if she did do some campaign work while at city hall, I’m sure she does plenty of city hall work after hours as well.
There may not be much here but it is certainly of note that the Mayor paid the City Counselor (then his Chief of Staff) $10k for part-time legal advice which, let’s be serious, was an extravagance at best. Anyone remember any big pressing legal issues in waning months of the campaign? To Bard re: “I’m sure she does plenty of city hall work after hours as well.” So do scores of other members of management without $10k bouses. All that said, Mayor Slay has the legal right and authority to pay her pretty much what he wants for what he wants.
Meh.
Like The Bard said.
Of course Slay turns for legal advice to someone trusted.
phooey: the reason you have trusted and effective legal counsel is to AVOID having any “big pressing legal issues in waning months of the campaign.”
Isn’t the real story here that Slay is giving money to Acorn, a group that has been convicted of perpetrating various election frauds. Why would he associate himself with such thugs?
> most of the time, she would have been on the clock at City Hall,
> and, of course, unable to answer any campaign questions.
Last time I checked, a full-time employee was obliged to be “on the clock” for 80 hours, of a total 168 hours a week. So even if Hageman didn’t take any vacation time to serve the Slay campaign, her full-time job would have occupied 47.6% of her time. That’s 2.5% less than “most.”
No, I’m not a workaholic, I’m just brain dead. So, 40 hours of 168 is 23.8%, WAY less than “most.”