Who Paid Alderwoman Davis’s Ethics Fines, How Much, When?

St. Louis City 19th Ward Alderwoman Marlene Davis doesn’t like Missouri’s Ethics law, hasn’t for a long time. There’s somewhere around $8,230 in fines from 2018 to present that she should have paid MEC but not reflected in her campaign reports.

I have made a Sunshine request to the Missouri Ethics Commission for records on payment of the many fines assessed by the MEC against Davis and her Citizens for Davis candidate committee.

Davis, at this time, has failed to file any campaign reports for 2020 and still owes a report for 2019. She has filed late reports for which fines were due. MEC requires payment of a fine in advance of filing a report. But there is no mention of her campaign committee paying these fines.

Her last MEC reported fine(s) were paid in February 2018: $919.35. At that time, she had a balance of $9,186.17 in the account. Since then, she has filed only Limited Activity Reports or failed to file reports.

Davis electronically filed a Limited Activity Report for July 15, 2918 on September 19, 2018, 66 days late. At $10 per day fine, a $660 fine.

Davis electronically filed a Limited Activity Report for October 15, 2018 on November 26, 2018, 42 days late. At $10 per day fine, a $420 fine.

Davis electronically filed a Limited Activity Report for April 15, 2019 on September 23, 2019, 161 days late. At $10 per day fine, a $1,610 fine.

Davis electronically filed a Limited Activity Report for July 15, 2019 on September 23, 2019, 70 days late. At $10 per day fine, a $700 fine.

As of June 25, 2020, Davis is…

253 days late on filing her October 15, 2019 report, a $2,530 fine;

161 days late on filing her January 15, 2020 report, a $1,610 fine;

70 days late on filing her April 15, 2020 report, a $700 fine.

Davis chairs the Board of Aldermen’s Transportation and Commerce Committee. She has a cozy relationship with Rex Sinquefield’s Airport Privatization consultants and made sure legislation for a public vote to ratify any lease/sale of St. Louis Lambert Airport didn’t happen.

Until recently, she controlled efforts at the BOA to privatize St. Louis Lambert International Airport. Board President Lewis Reed now is in charge of privatization efforts at BOA.

Davis also serves on the City’s Port Authority Commission and is helping shepherd legislation to expand the Port Authority’s boundaries and, therefore, expanding its taxing, eminent domain, and corporate welfare powers. It was her decision to prohibit public testimony on the proposal.

Davis often mentions her expertise in finances at public hearings. And, yet, she cannot manage to file her campaign reports (she serves as her own treasurer) in anything resembling a timely manner.

It appears that Davis had money in the candidate account to pay fines, but that required disclosure on reports, which she did not. So it looks like Davis, or someone else, paid the fines and it was also not reported. I am not sure what the law is on that. If a candidate pays their Ethics fine or if someone else does it, is it an in-kind contribution?

But if hasn’t been reported on a campaign report, the fine and payment is still a public record, or should be. We shall find out, hopefully.

 
MECDavis1

Privatization News Feed Updated

yTkejEGTEThe Privatization News Feed has been updated with 36 articles and commentaries on St. Louis Lambert Airport governance, Rex Sinquefield, and Privatization from newspapers, blogs, radio and television stations in the St. Louis area and across the country.

Lacy Clay Is No Hero On Airport Privatization

lacystevephotoRemember when people applauded U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay when he demanded (in a press release, not an event where he had to answer questions) a public vote on privatization of St. Louis Lambert Airport?

It happened November 14, the day of St. Louis Not For Sale’s You Deserve A Vote Town Hall.

Many airport privatization opponents and privatization public vote advocates gave Clay high praise.

The announcement got media attention.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Clay enters Lambert fray, demands binding vote on privatization

St. Louis Business Journal: Congressman Clay calls for public vote on Lambert airport privatization

Clay’s Press Release ended up in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Airport Privatization Timeline, a Timeline that peculiarly failed to acknowledge long term, major players in opposition to privatization without a public vote and without transparency including Comptroller Darlene Green, the initiative petition drive work by St. Louis Not For Sale, or the Lambert Airport Sunshine Law Litigation.

There was no critical look at what was going on here. Lost in all the giddiness over Clay’s endorsement of a public vote on Rex Sinquefield’s latest dumpster fire was that Clay’s Press Release did not bring in a single new vote at Board of Aldermen to actually get the privatization public vote issue approved.

And, it turns out, Lacy Clay’s Just Permanent Interests PAC took $5,000 from Rex Inc’s Travis Brown/Pelopidas the day before his 2018 primary win. No one was going to notice it on that Election Eve. However, with most every political thing in St. Louis that Rex Sinquefield’s millions touches going up in flames, that $5,000 contribution was going to bite Clay on his ass this election year.

Image

Make no mistake, Rex Sinquefield’s PR guy and lead salesman on airport privatization was looking for friends. The same day Clay took his money this story broke.

8/6/2019 St. Louis Post-Dispatch- Tony MessengerThe financier who bought Stenger also has eyes on Lambert. Buyer beware.

Clay eyes known opponent Cori Bush over his left shoulder and over his right shoulder a possible white candidate waiting for him to wound himself and present a path to unseating him. Clay needed praise from anti-privatization people, so called progressives in particular, and he got it.

Clay had to distance himself from that $5,000 check from Travis Brown. He’s no hero on airport privatization.

— Marie Ceselski, former 7th Ward Democratic Committeewoman

City Democrats To Hold Fundraiser At Airport Privatization Bidder & Rex Inc Consultant Office

Update 6 pm 1/7/2020: I have been informed by 25th Ward Committeewoman Lori Lamprich that the event has been “postponed. No other details available.”
————————————————————

I was surprised last June when St. Louis City Central Committee Chair Michael Butler chose FUSE Advertising’s Office for a July meeting of the committee. But it’s a complete shock to find out Chairman Butler has now scheduled a fundraiser at FUSE, consultants on Rex Sinquefield’s payroll and most recently a partner in group that submitted an RFQ for St. Louis Lambert Airport Privatization.

FUSECityDems
Central Committee has long opposed repeal of the City’s Earnings Tax, one of Rex Sinquefield’s top priorities. FUSE was paid $569,514.75 in 2016 by Rex Sinquefield’s Vote No On The E-Tax Committee to try and defeat reauthorization of the City’s Earnings Tax.

FUSEETax

More specific to Chairman Butler, also now City Recorder of Deeds, FUSE was paid $75,386.94 in 2016-2017 by Sinquefield’s Make Saint Louis Safe Committee to try and pass the ridiculous Body Cam Scam ballot issue. That issue, by initiative petition, would, allegedly, have eliminated the office of Recorder of Deeds to free up money for police body cameras.

FUSESTLSafeA
FUSESTLSafe

Also in 2017, FUSE was paid $59,805.80 by Sinquefield’s STL Votes! Committee to try and pass the Election Date Move Scam ballot issue. That issue, by initiative petition, would have moved all the City’s municipal elections except School Board and ballot issues to State election dates. Sinquefield, a supporter of privatizing public schools, would have an easier job of electing his own slate of candidates and passing his agenda by initiative petition had that issue passed.

FUSESTLVotes

Central Committee also opposed both of Sinquefield’s 2017 ballot issues.

Now we find out that Chairman Butler has scheduled a January 15th Central Committee Fundraiser at FUSE.FUSEFR

Not only was FUSE on Rex Inc payroll for at least $694,707.49 in 2016-2017, and we have no idea what else they might have been paid for by Snquefield’s many noprofits, it turns out FUSE was partners in the controversial STL Aviation Group’s RFQ pitch to privatize St. Louis Lambert Airport.

FUSERFQ

But, wait. There’s more. Gerald Hawthorne of FUSE in the STL Aviation Group RFQ for airport privatization is also Gerald Hawthorne, Treasurer of Rex Sinquefield’s Great St. Louis PAC.
FUSEHawthorne

To summarize, City Dems are having a fundraiser at the office of a consultant who tried to eliminate City’s E-Tax, eliminate Recorder of Deeds Office, decrease voter turnout for School Board Elections, and wanted to bid on airport privatization, ALL things City Dems are on record opposing.

— Marie Ceselski

Disclaimer: I resigned last year as 7th Ward Committeewoman and from Missouri Democratic Party because of Chairman Butler. I also retired from the Recorder of Deeds Office rather than become his indentured servant or be fired for not supporting his election.

Make Your Voice Heard @ This Week’s Airport Privatization Meetings

FailThis Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday, there are public meetings scheduled at public libraries on St. Louis Lambert Airport Privatization. You probably don’t know anything about them because there has been no publicity on the meetings. This so-called public outreach by the airport privatization consultants is an Epic Fail.

6-7:30 pm Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Carpenter Library, 3309 S Grand, Tower Grove South
Public Transit: #8 Shaw-Cherokee, #70 Grand

7-8:30 pm Wednesday, October 30, 2019
Schlafly Library, 225 N Euclid,  Central West End
Public Transit: #10 Gravois-Lindell, #13 Union

2-3:30 pm Saturday. November 2, 2019
Walnut Park Library, 5760 W Florissant, Walnut Park
Public Transit: #74 Florissant

There’s a lot of background information on St. Louis Lambert Airport Privatization and a news archive from 2017 to present at the Airport Privatization News & Commentary Feed. 

The meetings this week are called “Airport Solutions Community Meetings” and a part of the so-called public outreach program on privatization that, to date, has mainly consisted of a door to door canvass where people were asked their views on the airport and not privatization.

Outreach is the responsibility of the $12 Million (and growing more expensive each day because money is no object) privatization consultants paid by billionaire Rex Sinquefield’s Grow Missouri. Sinquefield gets reimbursed for the consultant fees from proceeds of privatization (reduces revenue to City), should a deal be made. He also stands to make money off privatization if his Dimensional Fund Advisers finds itself invested in a winning bid company.

As of 11 pm Monday, October 28, there were no notices for these meetings posted to the City’s Online Calendar- either Public Meeting or Events.

On paper, the consultants work for the Airport Advisory Working Group– City elected and appointed officials.  These are public meetings subject to State and Local Sunshine laws on public records and meeting notices. Locally, these meetings are in violation of Mayor Lyda Krewson’s Executive Order 60 requiring meeting notices be posted on the City’s Online Calendar.

As of 11 pm Monday, October 28, there has been no notice on Nextdoor regarding these meetings- other than what I posted. That’s significant because at an October 17th meeting of the Airport Advisory Working Group, Alderwoman Marlene Davis requested that notices on this week’s community meetings on airport privatization be posted to Nextdoor.  Nextdoor is, according to Board of Aldermen President Lewis Reed, the official social media platform for the City of St. Louis. But the privatization consultants aren’t a public agency with a citywide account, so unclear who from the City with an agency account was supposed to do it.

As of 10 pm Monday, October 28, the only publicity on these meetings- by the airport privatization consultants running the meetings– is a link on their website under Community Outreach Calendar that takes you to an odd flyer that doesn’t give addresses for the meeting locations or use the word “privatization.”

AirportMeetings

You will, however, see the consultant’s website promoted, which brings me to what has happened at so-called community meetings run by the privatization consultants and most assuredly will happen at this weeks meetings unless the people demand better. Whenever a hard question is asked, the consultants answer by saying “go to our website for more information” or “go to our website and email us the question.” They do not want to have a public conversation on anything controversial. They want to stick to talking points. And good luck finding anything on the airport consultant’s website.

Make your voice heard on airport privatization. Go to one of these meetings, ask tough questions, and don’t sit down until you get an answer. Don’t settle for “go to our website.”

There is also a meeting of the Airport Advisory Working Group this Thursday, open to the public.

You can view public comments to the Federal Aviation Administration on St. Louis Lambert Airport Privatization and submit your own comments.

—Marie Ceselski, former 7th Ward Democratic Committeewoman

Two Thursday Airport Privatization Meetings

rexcMake your voice heard! Contact Your Alderperson to support Public Vote on Airport Privatization. Let The People Vote!

11 am Thursday, October 24, 2019
Airport Privatization Advisory Working Group
Room 3005, 1520 Market, City Hall West
Open to the Public
1 pm Thursday, October 24, 2019
Board of Aldermen
Room 208, Kennedy Hearing Room, City Hall, 1200 Market
Open to the Public
Agenda includes
Board Bill 19 for Public Vote on Airport Privatization via ordinance
Board Bill 77 for Public Vote on Airport Privatization via charter amendment
Board Bill 93 for Federal Grant to assist Board of Aldermen examine Airport Privatization
Presentation by Airport Privatization Consultants. Again, these are consultants paid for by Rex Sinquefied’s Grow Missouri. Sinquefield will be reimbursed if a privatization deal is made. AND per Board of Aldermen Resolution, these privatization updates were due every 60 days and have not happened.
Background information on Airport Privatization
News archives on Airport Privatization since 3/2017

Register for Nov. 14 You Deserve A Vote, Airport Privatization Town Hall

townhallairport6:30-8:30 pm Thursday, November 14th, 2019
You Deserve A Vote, Airport Privatization Town Hall
Hosted by STL Not For Sale
Auditorium, Central Library, 1301 Olive
Register Here
Speakers

20th Ward Alderwoman Cara Spencer, sponsor of Board Bills for a Public Vote on Airport Privatization

Tony Messenger, Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper columnist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Ray Mundy, PhD
yTkejEGTE
Lots of information on St. Louis Lambert Airport Privatization News & Commentary Feed including archive of news stories from 3/23/2017 to Present.