JEFFERSON CITY — A nonprofit that doesn’t have to reveal its donors signed on 11 lobbyists Thursday to push for a citywide vote on whether to lease ºüÀêÊÓƵ Lambert International Airport to a private company.
Rebuild Saint Louis Inc. won’t reveal its donors, said Sam Gladney, a ºüÀêÊÓƵ labor lawyer and the group’s registered agent.
He said the nonprofit would support both ºüÀêÊÓƵ Aldermanic President Lewis Reed’s proposal to put privatization to a vote in November, as well as a parallel effort by the NAACP and the Carpenters Union.
“Any effort to bring this to a public vote in November,†Gladney said.
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Among the lobbyists is Jane Dueker, who lists the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Police Officers Association and the ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Police Association among her clients.
Michael Kelley, a Democratic political consultant, is also lobbying for the group.
Jeff Aboussie, who had lobbied for the city of ºüÀêÊÓƵ until Monday, is another lobbyist on the list.
Darryl Piggee, former chief of staff to Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-University City, is lobbying for the group, as well as Shannon Weber, a former aide to ex-ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Executive Steve Stenger.
Others include Mark Dalton, Ronald Gladney, Leroy Grant, Lou Hamilton, Megan McBride and David Sweeney, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.
Hamilton and McBride work for The Kelley Group, Michael Kelley’s downtown political consulting business.
“Part of the reason the list is so big is we wanted to make sure that anybody who could potentially talk to a board (of aldermen) member was listed,†Gladney said.
Rebuild Saint Louis Inc. is “supporting an effort to bring an opportunity for transformative change to the ballot in November,†he said. “There is an opportunity here for the region and there ought to be a whole open discussion and a vote on it.â€
He said the nonprofit has a number of financial backers, and said ºüÀêÊÓƵ megadonor Rex Sinquefield was not among them.
“He has not — yet,†Gladney said. “We would be open to donations from him if he wanted to. But I can tell you right now he has not so far.â€