Blunt's highway appointee gave $50,000 to governor's campaign

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A southwest Missouri businessman contributed $50,000 to Gov. Matt Blunt's campaign just two weeks before the governor appointed him to the powerful and prestigious state transportation commission.

Blunt announced the nomination of Rudolph Farber, a Republican from Neosho, to the state Highways and Transportation Commission on March 19. Newly released campaign finance reports show Farber contributed $50,000 to Blunt's campaign just two weeks before that -- on March 4.

The Senate Gubernatorial Appointments Committee is scheduled to consider Farber's appointment today, and Senate Democrats plan to question him about the donation.

"Fifty thousand dollars to a governor who 15 days later appoints a man to this critical position throws up so many red flags," said Senate Minority Leader Maida Coleman, D-St. Louis. "It's certainly something that would make us seriously consider if this was a payoff for the appointment."

Blunt said Tuesday that there was no connection between Farber's donation and his appointment, and suggested those who are raising concerns were engaged in "partisan quibbling."

"I think one's not connected to the other," Blunt said.

Farber hung up the telephone when reached Tuesday by an Associated Press reporter.

"I'm sorry, I have no desire to talk to you," Farber said before even learning the topic of the conversation.

Among its most prominent roles, the six-member transportation commission determines which road and bridge projects get built and who gets the contracts.

Farber is chairman of the board of Community Bank and Trust. Blunt praised him Tuesday as someone who is "passionate about economic development and transportation" and "a great public servant."

Farber also is a longtime political supporter of Republican campaigns. Until his most recent donation, his household had contributed more than $7,000 to Blunt's campaign committee since 2003, typically giving the maximum amount allowed for each election cycle, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Although favoring Republicans, Farber also has contributed to some Democrats. Farber's household gave about $5,000 to former Democratic Gov. Bob Holden from 1999-2001, according to the National Institute on Money in State Politics, which tracks campaign contributions. The institute's Web site also shows that Farber gave $500 in 2001 to Democratic Attorney General Jay Nixon, Blunt's likely gubernatorial challenger next year.

Missouri's individual campaign contribution limits were repealed Jan. 1 as a result of a bill passed last year by the Republican-led Legislature and signed into law by Blunt. They said repealing the limits would make it easier for the public to track donations by eliminating the need for big donors to channel money to candidates through various committees.

Farber's $50,000 contribution was among the largest received by Blunt.

House Democrats claimed Tuesday that the size and timing of the contribution show why the limits need to be re-imposed.

"This is government for sale at its worst," House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence, said in a written statement. "The highways commission is one of Missouri's most important panels. Decisions on how to allocate the state's scarce transportation resources and determining what roads get built should not be made by those who buy their way onto the commission."