Blog CCP: Grisamore (47th) has an Ethics Problem
Blog CCP: Grisamore (47th) has an Ethics Problem
Rep. Jeff Grisamore (R) has an ethics problem.
We all know about conflicts of interest; our mommas taught us to avoid them. You can't be in charge of the cookie jar and be dipping into it. That is, however, exactly what Jeff Grisamore is doing. According to KC Blue Blog and the St. Louis Post Dispatch, when Blunt announced that he was going to start giving state monies to churches to do the state's social services, Rep. Grisamore was at Blunt's side. Frequent readers of this blog will know I am not ashamed of my religion, but sure don't want my politics and religion mixed.
Grisamore makes $120,000 a year as president of the Alliance for Orphans and Widows (sounds like a really good cause). If you go to their website, don't expect much, its under construction. The conflict of interest arises when Grisamore sponsored legislation so the faith based organizations could get payed to do the state's social services work. The Bill is HB 888 and establishes the Faith-Based Organization Liaison Act.
Now, the ethics problems arise. Go to Jeff's political website and his address is listed as 305 S.W. Market Street. Go to the web site of the Alliance for Orphans and Widows and its address is, you guessed it, 305 S.W. Market Street. It gets even better, the two organizations share a phone number, too. 816-225-5695. At this point, it kinda gets sad. Representative Grisamore pays for the phone number out of campaign funds, according to his most recent MEC filing.
Don't mix politics and religion. Rep. Grisamore, please give one up (preferably, not God). Either it is a political office or a non-profit office (the website says they are in critical need of tax deductible contributions). It can't be both for you to keep your 501(c)3) status
Grisamore (47th) has an Ethics Problem
Rep. Jeff Grisamore (R) has an ethics problem.
We all know about conflicts of interest; our mommas taught us to avoid them. You can't be in charge of the cookie jar and be dipping into it. That is, however, exactly what Jeff Grisamore is doing. According to KC Blue Blog and the St. Louis Post Dispatch, when Blunt announced that he was going to start giving state monies to churches to do the state's social services, Rep. Grisamore was at Blunt's side. Frequent readers of this blog will know I am not ashamed of my religion, but sure don't want my politics and religion mixed.
Grisamore makes $120,000 a year as president of the Alliance for Orphans and Widows (sounds like a really good cause). If you go to their website, don't expect much, its under construction. The conflict of interest arises when Grisamore sponsored legislation so the faith based organizations could get payed to do the state's social services work. The Bill is HB 888 and establishes the Faith-Based Organization Liaison Act.
Now, the ethics problems arise. Go to Jeff's political website and his address is listed as 305 S.W. Market Street. Go to the web site of the Alliance for Orphans and Widows and its address is, you guessed it, 305 S.W. Market Street. It gets even better, the two organizations share a phone number, too. 816-225-5695. At this point, it kinda gets sad. Representative Grisamore pays for the phone number out of campaign funds, according to his most recent MEC filing.
Don't mix politics and religion. Rep. Grisamore, please give one up (preferably, not God). Either it is a political office or a non-profit office (the website says they are in critical need of tax deductible contributions). It can't be both for you to keep your 501(c)3) status
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