Democratic legislative candidate Michela Skelton will return $150 in campaign contributions from two contract lobbyists to meet her campaign pledge to refuse money from corporate interests.

Skelton, who faces Republican Sara Walsh in the Aug. 8 special election in the 50th Missouri House District, said she will keep two other contributions, totaling $257, from two other registered lobbyists who only represent organizations that employ them.

Skelton reported Monday that she raised $39,750 from April 1 to June 30, raising her total in the campaign to more than $74,000. Walsh reported $29,329 in contributions in the period and $53,436 overall. Walsh has spent less so far, and Skelton had $44,812 in the bank compared to $40,675 for Walsh.

Contributions from lobbyists and organizations with interests before the legislature have not been the largest source of funding for either candidate. In addition to the $407 from the four, Skelton has accepted $2,700 from labor union political action committees and $100 from the Missouri National Organization for Women political arm.

Walsh has accepted $8,450 in money from business and other political action committees. The Missouri Chamber of Commerce PAC and the Missouri Pharmacy Association committee each gave Walsh the largest contribution allowed by law, $2,600. Two registered lobbyists, Jeremy Cady of Americans for Prosperity and Ron Fitzwater of the Missouri Pharmacy Association, each gave $100.

All four lobbyists contributing to Skelton gave contributions during the first quarter of the year and Mayfield made two small contributions in the second quarter. They were identified by the Tribune during a review of all contributions.

In campaign speeches and in an interview with the Tribune in late June, Skelton said she wanted to run a grass-roots campaign that was free from influence by donors.

“I am not taking lobbyist money, I am not taking corporate money and I don’t want anybody to think I am there to work for anybody but the people of the 50th District,” she said in the interview.

Skelton said Tuesday that she will return $100 received March 16 from Sarah Martin, a St. Louis alderwoman with seven lobbying clients, and $50 received Jan. 11 from Brad Ketcher, a St. Louis attorney with five clients. She will keep $150 from Amanda Good, a Jefferson City resident and state director of the Humane Society of the United States, and $50 from Cydney Mayfield, a Boonville attorney.

“Those were the only four that managed to slip through more than 1,000 donations,” Skelton said.

The Humane Society has been one of the most controversial political players in Missouri in recent years. The society backed a successful initiative to regulate dog breeders and financed an unsuccessful campaign against the constitutional proposal called “Right to Farm.”

The union contributions represent money from hundreds of members, Skelton said.

Skelton raised questions about how Walsh is reporting her donations. From six fundraising events, Walsh accepted $8,322 in anonymous donations, and more than 20 percent of the money she has raised is from Republican party committees or officials.

The anonymous donations, while legal, aren’t transparent, Skelton said. And the large amounts from the party “shows a lack of support from real people,” Skelton said. “It shows who she is going to be working for in Jefferson City.”

Walsh defended both her PAC contributions and her backing by party leaders. The organizations giving to her campaign “represent a bunch of little people, small business owners. I have worked for non-profits, and they represent small businesses who are passionate about certain issues.”

The fundraising report shows strong support from business owners and individuals, Walsh said.

“The message of our government being by and for the people and less red tape and more of the people’s voice is what resonates well in the district,” Walsh said.

rkeller@columbiatribune.com

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