By Tony Brockmeyer
Investigation into campaign mudslinging political flyer links Representative Sally Faith and Thomas W. Smith, Jr. Legislative Director for State Representative Tom Dempsey, to negative mailings sent out against Faith’s opponent, Tom Green.
Campaign reports disclose Representative Sally Faith apparently participated in an elaborate scheme to attack Green and make it appear that the mailings came from an independent committee, Gateway To Victory whose treasurer is Representative Tom Dempsey’s Legislative Director. Green said, “I can’t believe they are brazen enough to try and fool the voters again. Green was referring to a last minute slanderous flyer that was mailed out against him in the election two years ago. In that election Green was the incumbent representative and was opposed by Sally Faith. A flyer was sent out just hours prior to the election accusing Representative Green of vacationing in Alaska on taxpayer money. After the election was over it was proven that representative Green has never been to Alaska and never used taxpayer funds for any vacation. That flyer is the reason for a pending slanderous lawsuit filed by Green in the St. Charles County Circuit Court. Court records reveal that there have been unsuccessful attempts by the other side to get the lawsuit dismissed. The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard on January 23, 2007.
It would appear that “Gateway To Victory Fund”, headed by Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, when printing and mailing a flyer and by concealing the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the mail piece of campaign literature mailed during October 2006 for the November general election for State House District 15. It would also appear that Representative Sally Faith, a candidate, in conjunction with the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, a candidate committee, further violated Chapter 130.031, RSMo, by paying “Survey St. Louis”, owned by Thomas W. Smith, Jr., Dempsey’s Legislative Director, $5,000 to print the mail piece while inaccurately reporting the purpose of the expenditure as telephone research.
Thomas W. Smith, Jr. serves as both treasurer of “Gateway to Victory Fund”, that paid for the mailer and owner of “Survey St. Louis”, the company that received $5,000 from the Committee To Elect Sally A Faith.
Based on that information it would appear the purpose of inaccurately reporting the expenditure from the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, was to violate Chapter 130.031 RSMo concealing the purpose of the expenditure and to further conceal the “Committee to Elect Sally A Faith”, as the source of the campaign’s direct mail piece that was slamming Green.
Tom Green told the First Capitol News that he is glad this is being disclosed and feels, “It is important the voters know Sally Faith’s connection to the parties responsible for this slanderous, misleading attempt to once again smear my good reputation. I am not surprised that they continually send out lies about my family, my record and me. I would hope they would stop this type of campaigning.”
Tom Green further said, “People who are close to the political scene understand that when a candidate gets desperate they sometimes stoop to any level in an effort to win a campaign. What people don’t know is what it is like for your kids go to school and suffer through the emotional trauma that this type of mudslinging campaign causes.”
The campaign reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission show that payments were made by Sally Faith to Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith and one of his many firms shortly before each of the recent negative mailings were received by the voters. The reports show that Sally Faith paid Dempsey’s Legislative Director, Tom Smith’s firm, “Survey St. Louis”, and then “Gateway To Victory”, whose treasurer is Dempsey’s Legislative Director Smith, paid for the negative mailings. The mailings show they were paid for by “Gateway to Victory”. The First Capitol News contacted a print mail house that prints and mails political literature and they confirmed the amounts of money transferred were about the same amount of money it would take to mail the negative mailings.
In their latest filing with the Missouri Ethics Commission dated October 30, 2006 the “Committee To Elect Sally A Faith”, reports another payment of $2,440.64 to Smith’s “Survey St. Louis”, and a payment to Faith of $2,722.25. The payment to Smith’s company is marked invitations. The same report lists payments to, “For All Occasions” for $826.93 for invitations and a payment to Minuteman Press for $790.03 for invitations. The payment to Faith was marked reimbursement but it was not noted what was being reimbursed.
Allegations have been made concerning alleged misappropriation of state funds by Dempsey and his legislative director, Thomas W. Smith. See the story on the front page, “Ethics Complaint Charges Dempsey campaign misappropriated state funds.”
Green told the FCN,” I am very proud of my record and accomplishments serving the residents of the 15th Representative District. Green pointed to the new interchange at Highway 70 and 94, the sound wall along the Page Avenue Extension and the bike trails.” He also pointed out he would resume working on road building issues, restoring Medicaid benefits to people who have been cut out of the program and fighting for homeowners who are having problems with builders. “I have worked to accomplish the needed policies for our schools, healthcare and our transportation system. I am committed to raising a family in a safe and prosperous St. Charles County. As a State representative for the 15th District I would like to promote issues that affect our residents in a positive way.
Attempts to contact Sally Faith and Tom Smith were unsuccessful.
Editors note …. We were unable to locate businesses licenses for Survey St. Louis, the company owned by Dempsey’s Legislative Director along with several other companies registered to him. Additional information on Smith in our series, “Money Laundering or Smart Politics. The People Have a Right To Know” can be found on the Internet in our web log at .. firstcapitolnews.blogspot.com. Our new web site is under construction at firstcapitolnews.com. Take a look at it and give us your opinion while it is still being created. Breaking news on a daily basis can be found on the Internet at our web log …
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