R.J. Matson/Post-Dispatch

Last April 8, the Missouri House passed a measure that would have given voters the right to change the state’s non-partisan judicial selection process and put politics back in the system.

On Sunday, The Kansas City Star looked at that 85-72 vote and connected a few dots:

“Within days… rumors flew that a reward was coming for the Republican leaders who pushed it through.

“And those rumors proved true. $25,000 poured in a week after the vote. Then $5,000. Then $50,000. Then $100,000, followed days later by another $25,000. And another $50,000.”

All the money came from the Humphreys family of Joplin, which runs TAMKO, a building materials company.

Speaker Ron Richard, R-Joplin, got $55,000. Majority Leader Steven Tilley, R-Perryville, got $25,000. The state Republican Party got $50,000, and the House Republican Campaign Committee — through which Mr. Tilley passes on money to GOP candidates — got $125,000.

The conduit for this largesse was former House Speaker Rod Jetton (Nickname: The Rodfather), who began his career as a political consultant when he was speaker; unbelievably, there is no law against it.
Business has been great since Mr. Jetton left the Legislature after 2008.  “Jetton has become a conduit for campaign contributions greasing the legislative gears in Jefferson City,” The Star reported.

One of Mr. Jetton’s most notorious achievements as speaker was helping to remove Missouri’s campaign contributions limits. The law went into effect in time for the 2008 election, making Missouri one of only five states — including Illinois — that set no limits on how much individuals can give to political campaigns.

Now, even as Illinois debates imposing contribution limits in the wake of the Rod Blagojevich scandals, Missouri is developing its own “culture of corruption.”

All that money floating around has benefitted political consultants like Mr. Jetton; their causes and candidates sometimes fail — the judicial change measure never got a vote in the Senate — but the consultants make very nice livings.

The timing of the Humphreys’ contributions, coming so soon after Mr. Jetton’s clients delivered on their promise and  after they held a special caucus to bring members into line, has raised suspicions. In March, The Star reported that FBI agents were investigating allegations of “pay-to-play” deals in Jefferson City.

Mr. Jetton and his clients deny there was any quid-pro-quo agreement on the judicial measure or any other piece of legislation. Indeed, Mr. Jetton denies ever talking to any lawmaker about pending legislation. He’s still not registered as a lobbyist.

Speaker Richard, however, is concerned; he’s now talking about legislation to “reinforce the seriousness” of ethics laws.

That would be fine if Missouri had serious laws. Here’s a clue: If the House speaker can be a political consultant, your laws aren’t serious. If lobbyists pay for your Christmas parties and your working dinners, your laws aren’t serious.

The state needs tough new laws, including strict campaign contribution limits; a ban on using party committees to launder contributions and a state ethics commission with some real clout.

It’s time to clean up Illinois politics, and not just in Illinois.