2 big donors switch sides in Missouri lieutenant governor's gov's race

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Two prominent political donors have switched sides in Missouri's Republican primary for lieutenant governor.

A spokesman for retired businessman Rex Sinquefield said Monday that he was contributing $385,000 to state Sen. Brad Lager's challenge of Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder. The Missouri Ethics Commission website on Monday showed that businessman David Humphreys also recently gave an additional $250,000 to Lager.

In addition to his donation, Sinquefield is hosting a fundraiser for Lager in suburban St. Louis on July 12.

Both Sinquefield and Humphreys had written large checks to Kinder as recently as last year, when it appeared Kinder would run for governor.

Humphreys dropped his support of Kinder after media reports that Kinder repeatedly visited a strip club in the 1990s. Kinder later decided to seek re-election.