Ethics violations handed down on negative mailers in Kansas City, Hickman Mills school board races

Two candidates and an associate behind negative postcard mailings in Kansas City and Hickman Mills school board races have admitted actions that the state says violated ethics laws.

Kansas City school board member Melissa Robinson, former Hickman Mills school board member Breman Anderson and attorney Clinton Adams signed consent orders, each admitting roles in producing at least one of three mailers that blasted opponents without stating who had paid for the ads — which is required under the law.

Robinson ran successfully against incumbent Joseph Jackson in April 2014 to win a seat on the Kansas City board.

In the consent order, signed Friday, Robinson agreed with the Missouri Ethics Commission that she was aware that Adams had prepared a negative postcard against Jackson.

The mailer did not say “paid for by,” and named only a group — “Parents and Neighbors for Quality Education” — which the commission said is not a registered entity with the ethics commission or the Missouri secretary of state.

Robinson also knew that Adams paid $480 toward the $1,400 costs of the mailer but did not report the funds as either a donation or an in-kind gift.

Robinson’s mistakes were “unintentional,” her attorney, Matt Dameron, said in a written statement.

“Ms. Robinson has taken steps to make sure this does not happen again,” he said, “and looks forward to continuing to be a strong advocate for the families she serves.”

Anderson, in April 2014, was the incumbent in a race for at-large seats on the Hickman Mills school board. Anderson agreed in his consent order that he had sought Adams’ assistance to produce mailers against opponents Bonnaye Mims, Karry Palmer and Dan Osman.

One mailer gave no attribution and the other named “Citizens United to Protect Our Children,” which is not a registered entity with any state agency, the commission said.

Anderson, reached by phone Monday, said he had no comment.

Anderson was not re-elected.

Adams’ consent order dealt only with the Kansas City district mailers. His case connected to the Hickman Mills complaint was dismissed by the ethics commission.

Adams told The Star Monday that the ads did not need to report who paid for them because they did not include any request that voters vote for or against anybody.

They were “information pieces,” Adams said.

Furthermore, he said, if the commission were to issue charges, it should be charging the companies that printed and mailed the ads.

“If my assessment is inaccurate, the only variable is race,” he said. “The African-American candidates and their associates were charged with violations and the white printing and media companies were not.”

The statute allows ethics charges against printers and mailers as well as candidates, said James Klahr, executive director of the Missouri Ethics Commission, but such charges happen “very infrequently,” he said.

“Usually complaints name the people that they (the complainants) feel are behind it,” he said.

The commission only reports on cases that have been finalized, he added, and he did not rule out the possibility of other charges out of the Kansas City and Hickman Mills races.

Palmer, who filed complaints against the negative Hickman Mills mailers, saw the ethics rulings as a slap on Freedom Inc., which Adams supports and which backed Anderson.

“It comes down to Freedom Inc. trying to do in Hickman Mills what it did before in Kansas City,” he said. “(But) I believe the mailers actually backfired.”

Jackson, who lost to Robinson, hopes the commission’s action will deter negative election-eve mailings in the future.

“I am happy that the state held someone accountable,” he said. “Maybe (in the future) it will give someone pause.”

The fines in the Kansas City district races were not the first reported by the ethics commission.

A year ago, the commission reached a consent order with Kansas City school board member Airick Leonard West over insufficient reporting on a promotional postcard for candidates supported by his political action committee.

The non-negative card, endorsing candidates Pattie Mansur and Janelle Bailey in 2014, incurred costs that were not included in final financial statements for the election cycle.

The postcards did not state who paid for them but said, “for a list of sponsors contact Airick Leonard West,” and gave his address.

In the consent orders, those accused of violations agreed to reduced fines — with the statement that larger fines would be reinstated if any campaign finance laws are violated in the next two years after the agreements were signed.

Anderson was fined $670, Adams $640 and Robinson $240. West’s fine was $400. The money goes to the school districts.

Adams’ consent order dealt only with the Kansas City district mailers. His case connected to the Hickman Mills complaint was dismissed by the ethics commission.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 3:33 PM with the headline "Ethics violations handed down on negative mailers in Kansas City, Hickman Mills school board races."