This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, April 28, 2011 - State Auditor Tom Schweich's office is jumping into the controversy over Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder's travel expenses -- whether Kinder likes it or not.
Deputy State Auditor Harry Otto announced this afternoon that, beginning in mid-May, auditors will conduct an examination of the documentation used by Kinder for his recent $52,320 reimbursement to the state for his state-paid travel expenses since 2005.
Kinder's lawyer, Jared Craighead, said the payment amount reflected an estimate -- not an exact sum -- of what Kinder had spent. (The lieutenant governor contends that his spending for lodging has been for legitimate state business, although some political events may have coincided with his official events. But Kinder said in a statement Tuesday that he was repaying the money to end the controversy over how much he spent, and the hotels he used.)
Otto said the auditor's staff believed it was appropriate to examine Kinder's documentation, to determine if his $52,320 reimbursement fully covered any questionable hotel stays. Otto estimated that the review should take no more than 90 days.
Otto said in an interview that the involvement of the auditor's office would be in line with what happened in 2007, when then-state Auditor Susan Montee intervened in the dispute over then-Attorney General Jay Nixon's use of a state-owned vehicle for political events.
Montee's staff combed through Nixon's travel records and ended up mandating that his campaign reimburse the state for more than Nixon had initially intended. However, Nixon had asked for Montee's review -- which may not be the case this time.
Otto confirmed that, this time, the auditor's office did not first discuss the matter with Kinder or his staff. The involvement by the auditor's office in the Kinder dispute could force the lieutenant governor's staff to turn over calendar records that it has not now made public.
Kinder and his staff have cited technical problems related to a change in computer systems, and have told reporters that their news outlets would need to pay thousands of dollars to obtain access to the old calendars.
Otto said the auditor's office has the technical experts needed to deal with any technical issues, and access the calendars. The auditor's office also plans to make its findings public -- without charge.
Schweich himself will not be involved, Otto said. Schweich issued a recusal letter in late January in which Schweich said he would refrain from being involved in "any and all audits'' of Kinder's office, since both are Republicans -- and since Kinder had donated significant sums to Schweich's campaign, in which he ousted Montee.
Kinder lawyer Craighead said later that the lieutenant governor had no objection to the auditor's examination of his records. "We'll welcome the review and will provide them with any information they need to conduct that review,'' Craighead said.
Today's news caps another bad day for Kinder, who has seen more bad news about his stolen-and-torched car (and a reminder that he left the keys in the ignition).
The Missouri Democratic Party issued a statement this afternoon in which it welcomed the auditor's action -- but questioned whether Otto should be involved. The party noted that Otto donated to Kinder's debt-service committeein 2002, and also had contributed money to other Republican politicians.
"It's a relief to know somebody in the Auditor's office still has a pulse, but that doesn't change the fact that an independent, third-party audit of Peter Kinder's travel is necessary," said Missouri Democratic Party spokeswoman Caitlin Legacki. "The conflicts of interest between Peter Kinder and Tom Schweich's office run far too deep for any review from Schweich or his staff to pass the smell test..."
