Kansas City, Mo. (December 4, 2019) – Missouri Democratic Party Chairwoman Jean Peters Baker, released the following statement:

“Missourians should be outraged by the news that Governor Parson’s administration encouraged state officials to work with donors to his political campaign seeking forgiveness of a state loan. Even if the deal made economic sense for Sedalia, if those seeking it weren’t political donors they wouldn’t have received the time of day from this administration. This is a perfect illustration of how access has a price tag where the well connected get exactly what they want from this Governor. That his hand-picked Attorney General, Eric Schmitt, is missing in action is further illustration of the corruption of Jefferson City under single-party rule.”

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Background

According to MO DNR, no other state loan such as this one had ever been forgiven.

“After appeal to Missouri governor, nonprofit settled $75,000 loan for just $9,459,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nov 29, 2019 https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/after-appeal-to-missouri-governor-nonprofit-settled-loan-for-just/article_232bb6f9-a40c-550b-878b-0d5afdcbf718.html

“Germinder sent a memo to Duecker and to Kayla Hahn, Parson’s policy director, on Oct. 10, 2018. He said the department had not found another instance of loan forgiveness. Nothing in state law prevented modifying the loan, he said, but the state would have to weigh the public’s interest in any negotiation.”