Senator questions timing of Herschend's donation to auditor | Springfield News-Leader | news-leader.com

Senator questions timing of Herschend's donation to auditor | Springfield News-Leader | news-leader.com



JEFFERSON CITY — A state senator says she is concerned that State Board of Education Chairman Peter Herschend gave $25,000 to Auditor Thomas Schweich’s campaign committee days after Schweich recused himself from an audit of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
Deputy Auditor Harry Otto, instead of Schweich, is conducting an audit of how the department contracted with an Indianapolis-based company to create a plan to improve Kansas City public schools. The company, Cities for Educational Entrepreneurship, offered a higher bid than other firms that competed for the contract. It ultimately won a $385,000 contract.
State education commissioner Chris Nicastro, who reports to the Board of Education led by Herschend, has spearheaded the project. Herschend — the Branson entrepreneur whose family owns Silver Dollar City — has been a strong supporter of Nicastro and has previously told the News-Leader she is the “best agent for positive change” he has encountered in his time in Missouri education.
Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-St. Louis, questioned the timing of Herschend’s Jan. 24 donation, noting the lack of people running for auditor.
“If donations are made all the time, the question is why would Peter Herschend make a $25,000 contribution on Jan. 24 as president? Why now?” Chappelle-Nadal said on the Senate floor this morning.
Herschend did not respond to calls this morning.
Herschend’s $25,000 donation to Schweich appears to be the largest donation he has made to the auditor, but it is not the first. Since 2009, Herschend has given to Schweich at least eight times, according to records from the Missouri Ethics Commission.
The donations range from $250 in February 2010 to January’s $24,000 check. In total, it appears Herschend has given at least $65,000 to Schweich since 2009.
Chappelle-Nadal said so far Schweich has recused himself from four audits. She said his first three recusals were of audits of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder, a Republican and a large donor to Schweich’s campaign.
Schweich told The Kansas City Star on Tuesday that state law would have allowed him to lead the audit of DESE but that he recused himself out of “an abundance of caution.”
Chappelle-Nadal said she is continuing to look into the situation.
“We have to be assured that a board is not committing injury to the democratic process,” Chappelle-Nadal said. “We have to be assured those things are not happening.”

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