Dark money already pouring into campaign to defend ‘right-to-work’ law

Dark money has begun pouring in to defend Missouri’s phony anti-union, anti-worker “right-to-work” law.

Two nonprofits donated $600,000 in recent weeks to political action committees working to protect the law set to go into effect in Missouri on Aug. 28.

A Kansas City-based nonprofit called American Democracy Alliance donated $350,000 to a PAC called Liberty Alliance and $150,000 to a PAC called Missourians for Worker Freedom. The two Kansas City-based PACs share the same address and phone number and both oppose efforts to repeal “right-to-work.”

Missouri Governor Eric Greitens’ nonprofit, A New Missouri Inc., has donated a total of $350,000 to Missourians for Worker Freedom.

Greitens campaigned on passage of “right-to-work” and gleefully signed the anti-worker bill into law, and he is closely tied with efforts to thwart the repeal effort. His campaign finance director, Meredith Gibbons is helping raise money for Liberty Alliance.

Another large recent donation came from Joplin businessman David Humphreys, CEO of TAMKO  Building Products. He donated $100,000 last week to Liberty Alliance, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Liberty Alliance also received a $100,000 check from St. Joseph-based Herzog Railroad Services, Inc. at the end of July.

Because both American Democracy Alliance and A New Missouri Inc. are nonprofits, they are not required to disclose their donors. That’s why their transactions are referred to as “dark money.”

American Democracy Alliance’s president is John Elliot of Smithville, MO, and its treasurer is longtime Jefferson City lobbyist Jewell Patek. It shares the same Kansas City address as Missouri GOP chairman Todd Graves’ law firm.

A New Missouri Inc. was founded by Greitens’ political team in February and has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting the governor and attacking his political enemies, including Republicans brave enough to fight for workers..