Many of the contractors had political ties. Since 2011, the companies engaged by the task force gave more than $200,000 to Gov. Jay Nixon, and more than $300,000 to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay. Blitz’s firm, for instance, gave more than $10,000 to both.

Nixon’s office and Slay’s campaign said their chiefs played no role in the selection of stadium contractors.

And task force co-chairman Dave Peacock said the team scrutinized contracts and double-checked rates with advisers.

In December, as the NFL vote neared, he told contractors to ramp down. “Stop,” he said. “Stop spending money.”

Blitz bristled at the suggestion that his firm took advantage of the public dime. He said he’s worked more than 1,000 hours on the project, paid for expenses out of pocket, and even stopped billing the Dome authority for its regular meetings. “I have not charged one dime to the task force,” he said.

He wasn’t the only one. Dome authority records show that neither Peacock nor Jim Woodcock, a partner at the public relations firm FleishmanHillard, were paid, either.