Ameren exec claims Nixon campaign sought donations

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Attorney General Jay Nixon's gubernatorial campaign asked Ameren Corp. for political donations after Nixon launched a criminal probe into the utility, according to an Ameren executive. But the executive said the request was routine and had nothing to do with Nixon's role as prosecutor in the case.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday quoted Ameren Vice President Richard Mark saying Nixon's campaign asked Ameren lobbyists to donate money to four democratic campaign committees after Nixon became special prosecutor over the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse.

Mark told the newspaper that Nixon's campaign staff approached the utility's governmental affairs staff last spring about making the donations to the Democratic groups.

But Mark added that the solicitation was in line with "common practice," and didn't involve Nixon or Ameren executives, including Ameren's top lawyer, Steve Sullivan.

That contradicts statements made by Ed Martin, Gov. Matt Blunt's chief of staff.

Martin has said Nixon's campaign asked Sullivan -- not the lobbyists -- to donate the money. Martin says Sullivan told him about the request during a meeting.

Sullivan has denied multiple requests from The Associated Press to comment on the matter.

Martin reaffirmed his account to the AP Wednesday and said he wants Sullivan to testify publicly about the matter.

Ameren donated $20,000 to the committees, which then donated virtually all the money to Nixon's campaign. Nixon later returned the donations.

Nixon's office and campaign did not return several messages seeking comment on Mark's comments Thursday morning.

Ameren spokesman Tim Fox would not confirm Mark's comments Thursday and did not make Mark available for comment.

The Missouri Ethics Commission investigated the matter and concluded in September that neither Nixon nor Ameren committed any wrongdoing.

Nixon has not said whether he will file criminal charges over the reservoir collapse. He has filed a civil lawsuit over the matter, in which he accuses Ameren of placing profits ahead of safety at the Taum Sauk hydroelectric plant.

Ameren delayed critical repairs at the mountain top reservoir for months before it collapsed, according to federal regulators.

Nixon's lawsuit alleges that Ameren knew delaying the repairs could cause a catastrophic accident, but delayed them because operating the plant was profitable.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com