Group seeks criminal probe of adviser to GOP donor facing pay-to-play allegations

A liberal Washington, D.C.-based government watchdog is calling for an investigation into whether an adviser to one of Missouri’s most prolific campaign donors should face criminal prosecution for breaking state lobbying law.

Paul Mouton, a political consultant from Webb City in southwest Missouri, was fined $2,000 this week by the Missouri Ethics Commission for illegally lobbying at the state Capitol for legislation supported by prominent Republican donor David Humphreys.

Mouton was lobbying on Humphreys’ behalf without filing the proper paperwork and disclosing the relationship. He will have to pay only $200 of the $2,000 fine if he doesn’t violate lobbying laws for the next two years.

On Thursday, a group called Campaign for Accountability asked Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson to investigate Mouton to see whether he should face criminal prosecution. Richardson did not respond to a request for comment.

“The Missouri Ethics Commission barely slapped Paul Mouton on the wrist for what appears to be a flagrant violation of state law,” said Daniel Stevens, executive director of Campaign for Accountability.

In the complaint filed to Richardson’s office, Stevens notes that violation of Missouri’s lobbying laws can be prosecuted criminally — a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class E felony for subsequent offenses.

Mouton is “no political neophyte,” Stevens said, noting that he’s been involved in Missouri politics at various levels for years.

“Mr. Mouton’s long political experience indicates that his failure to follow Missouri’s lobbying laws was no accident,” he said. “It appears highly likely he knowingly failed to register as a lobbyist and file the required reports.”

Mouton did not respond to a request for comment.

The ethics commission fine came as a result of a complaint filed against Mouton in June. At the heart of that complaint were allegations that Senate President Ron Richard, a Joplin Republican, sponsored legislation that would benefit Humpheys’ company as payback for political contributions.

Mouton was in the Missouri Capitol often during the 2016 and 2017 legislative sessions, and Richard’s office regularly provided him with a parking space in the Senate’s private garage. Several of the dates when Mouton had the parking spot correspond with action on legislation supported by Humphreys, including the day a Senate committee approved a bill at the heart of the allegations against Richard.

The bill would have limited plaintiffs’ ability to sue individually or in class-action lawsuits under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, a law that prohibits deceptive and unfair business practices. Humphreys’ company TAMKO Building Products Inc. is facing a class-action lawsuit under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act alleging it sold defective shingles, a charge the company denies.

A spokeswoman for Richard told The Star that Mouton was provided a parking spot because he was one of Richard’s constituents. Now that he’s also a lobbyist, he is no longer allowed to park in the Senate parking garage.

“The reserved parking spots are designated for constituents and not lobbyists,” said Lauren Hieger, communications director for the Missouri Senate majority caucus.

Richard’s connection to Mouton goes beyond a parking spot. His campaign committee has paid Mouton $25,000 since 2014 for consulting and research, including $1,000 in January, February, March and April this year. No other candidate has reported any payments to Mouton in the last three years.

In April, Campaign for Accountability filed a complaint with the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri requesting an investigation into whether Richard violated federal law when he accepted a $100,000 contribution from Humphreys just days after introducing the legislation that would have changed the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act.

Humphreys and his family contributed more than $14 million last year to various candidates and campaigns.

Republicans panned the complaint, accusing Campaign for Accountability of being funded by Democrats solely to attack Republicans.

Both Richard and Humphreys have long denied any wrongdoing.

This story was originally published September 29, 2017 at 9:31 AM with the headline "Group seeks criminal probe of adviser to GOP donor facing pay-to-play allegations."