Artist's rendition of lobbyist, right, delivering Christmas party cash to Missouri legislator.

State Rep. Allen Icet, R-Wildwood, says he sees no problem serving as chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee while he runs for statewide office next year. Of course he doesn’t.

We’re talking about the Missouri House, after all, where conflicts of interest bloom like dogwoods in spring. During this year’s legislative session, Tom Smith, chief legislative aide to Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, ran a political consulting firm on the side. The previous speaker, Rod Jetton, R-Marble Hill, cut out the middle man and ran his own consulting firm.

This week, state Auditor Susan Montee — a Democrat whose job Mr. Icet hopes to win next year — criticized both the House and the state Senate for annually hustling lobbyists for tens of thousands of dollars for Christmas parties, receptions, food, gifts and trinkets. A spokesman for the speaker called Ms. Montee’s audit a “non-story.”

The sad thing is, given that Jefferson City is wallpapered with petty corruption, the spokesman is right. In that kind of atmosphere, it’s no wonder that Mr. Icet feels no burning need to give up his chairmanship.

Mr. Icet assured the Post-Dispatch’s Tony Messenger that he wouldn’t use his life-or-death control over state budget decisions to help his campaign for state auditor. “That’s something I face every year,” he said. “I think you can make that case for a lot of positions [in government]. You have to walk a fine line and do what you think is the right thing to do.”

Mr. Icet is highly regarded by his colleagues as a man of integrity. But every time someone appears before his committee, and that someone’s name appears on his list of his contributors, it’s going to raise questions.

He would be doing himself — and the cause of good government — a favor if he resigned his committee seat. The problem is that without his committee chairmanship, Mr. Icet would be just another legislator. That would place him at a distinct disadvantage in fundraising for the auditor’s race — not so much in the general election against incumbent Democrat Susan Montee, but in the August primary.

Thomas A. Schweich, a lawyer and former ambassador for counternarcotics and justice reform in Afghanistan, also wants the GOP nomination. Mr. Schweich has close personal and professional ties to former U.S. Sen. John C. Danforth, R-Mo., and is expected to run a well-financed campaign.

The Republican primary for auditor next year will generate a lot of attention, if only because it’s the only statewide office on the ballot. It will pit an “inside guy” from the Legislature against an “outside guy” backed by Mr. Danforth’s statewide network of white-shoe Republicans.

Mr. Icet shouldn’t really be in this dilemma — House rules should require members seeking statewide office to give up leadership positions in which they could be perceived as doing favors for contributors. The rules also should forbid members and staffers from commingling their government jobs with fundraising and consulting.

And as for shaking down lobbyists for food, drinks and party favors, that’s just pathetic. Don’t these people have any dignity?