JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Ethics Commission hasn’t been able to take action on numerous complaints against candidates for office because it doesn’t have enough members to act.
The ethics commission posted “no action†findings in cases against two candidates for the Lee’s Summit School Board on Monday, Juanice Williams and Rodrick Sparks, who lost their elections Tuesday.
On Friday, it announced four additional “no action†determinations in separate complaints against Bellefontaine Neighbors Mayor ; , a member of the Weatherby Lake Board of Aldermen in Platte County; and Jodi Colter and Vicki Carr, in Mountain View, Missouri.
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In all cases, the ethics commission didn’t describe the allegations made against the candidates in disposing with the complaints.
Gov. Mike Parson, a Republican, is in charge of making appointments to the commission. His spokesman said Friday the absence of new members on the ethics commission wasn’t for lack of trying.
Johnathan Shiflett, the governor's spokesman, provided a copy of an Oct. 4 letter informing chairs of party congressional district committees that state law requires them to submit the names of two nominees to the governor for consideration.
the names are to be submitted to the governor “within thirty days of the vacancy or ninety days before the expiration of the term.â€
The letter said the 2nd District Republican committee, the 4th District Democratic committee, the 6th District Democratic or Republican committees, and the 8th District Democratic committee, were eligible to submit two nominees.
“We received little to no response,†Shiflett told the Post-Dispatch. “We have been working to find eligible candidates to serve on the MEC since October 2023 or earlier.â€
He went on to say that “requirements for MEC appointment are quite stringent ..., as they should be, but this can make finding qualified and interested candidates even more difficult.â€
Shiflett said that “we have some potential MEC appointments in the works. Should everything work out with their paperwork, we will announce the appointments in the coming days.â€
The ethics commission was also hobbled due to a lack of quorum in 2022, as well as in 2018 under former Gov. Eric Greitens.
Unlike other state bodies, members of the ethics commission cannot continue to serve after their terms expire. The governor also isn’t allowed to reappoint current members to the commission.
With three commissioners’ terms expiring March 15, and no one in line to replace them, the panel as of Friday had two active members — Republican Kathie Conway of St. Charles and Democrat Robin Wheeler Sanders of Kansas City.
No one was appointed in time to replace Chair Robert C. Cook, a Republican; Vice Chair Helene Frischer, a Democrat; and William Villapiano, a Republican, when their terms expired last month.
The recent lack of quorum didn’t stop the commission from issuing decisions in two ºüÀêÊÓƵ cases, where the state found probable cause of violations. The commission gave staff authority to settle those cases before the terms expired, said Elizabeth Ziegler, director of the ethics commission.
In the ºüÀêÊÓƵ cases, Linda Primer $3,700 after finding the PAC didn’t file reports on time and didn’t timely report contributions in 2023 to Friends of Ella Jones, who is mayor of Ferguson.
In another case, and treasurer James Brown $5,678.
The commission found the committee failed to file nine reports on time between 2019 and 2022, and that it failed to report contributions from Jeffrey Boyd and Roberts for ºüÀêÊÓƵ, campaign committee for state Sen. Steve Roberts Jr.
A $6 contribution from another committee, and a $100 contribution from the Lyda Krewson Leadership PAC, on or about March 25, 2021, were also not reported, the commission said.
Also, the committee didn’t report 19 expenditures of $100 or less totaling $832, including a total of $280 to three poll workers, and a $100 contribution to the Committee to Elect Yolanda Brown.
Three expenditures over $100, including $861 to Mark’s Quick Printing, and $120 to a fourth poll worker, were also not reported, the commission said.
In both cases, the respondents will only need to pay a portion of the overall fine if they pay within 45 days and the commission doesn’t find probable cause of additional violations within two years.