Campaign finance reports gives details on plane trip expenses

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt's campaign spent nearly $14,000 in the last few months on private aircraft as the governor flew to events on state business, campaign finance reports filed Friday indicate.

Blunt's office said last month that he hasn't used the state plane, and doesn't intend to, because of the tight state budget. Instead, the governor's office said, Blunt planned to charter private aircraft and pay for them out of campaign funds.

"We've made the decision not to use the state airplane. We've also made the decision to pay for all of our flights," campaign spokesman John Hancock said Friday.

But while Blunt says his method of travel saves taxpayers money, it also makes the details of that travel less open to public scrutiny.

State airplane logs are detailed, listing who was riding, where they went, the aircraft used and the cost to the state.

Democratic queries

"The Missouri Democratic Party is calling on Governor Blunt to disclose who is flying with him, where he's going and who is ultimately paying for his travel," party spokesman Jack Cardetti said.

Campaign finance reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission by Blunt and other officials list their fundraising and expenses for the period ended March 31. Blunt lists five separate payments for air travel, ranging from $700 to $8,417. The payments could have covered more than one trip and don't detail when or where the trips were, or who was on the plane.

Blunt reported using Jefferson City Flying Service, for about $3,208; Aviation Enterprises of Springfield, for $8,417; the Durham Co. of Lebanon, for $700; and Central Missouri Aviation of Columbia, for $1,422.

Hancock said none of the trips involved fundraising and that the governor did not fly just to return to his Springfield home.

"He flies very little compared to the immediate past governors and pretty much travels the state in his car," he said.

Blunt's flights on private planes include trips following his State of the State speech, to discuss his plans for education, to discuss lawsuit limits and business issues and to talk about changing the First Steps program for developmentally disabled children.

Overall for the period, Blunt reported raising $134,760 toward his 2008 re-election campaign, with $77,593 on hand by the end.

Campaign finance reports also indicated several candidates went into debt to win their offices last November.

Blunt has a debt of about $1,500 from the gubernatorial campaign.

The Democrat he defeated, State Auditor Claire McCaskill, had a $1.6 million loan from herself to pay back. Finance reports indicate she paid it back and then turned around and made another loan in the same amount to her campaign for re-election as auditor.

Lt. Gov Peter Kinder had a debt of more than $129,000 and paid off $15,000 of that in the latest period.

Treasurer Sarah Steelman's report indicated she started the period with a debt of about $313,000 and made a $1,200 payment on it.

Attorney General Jay Nixon's report indicated he started the quarter with more than $160,000 on hand and ended with $116,000. Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's report was not immediately available.

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On the Net:

Ethics Commission: http://www.moethics.state.mo.us