Campaign of late Missouri auditor returns $480,000 to donors

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Nearly $480,000 in donations to the late Republican Auditor Tom Schweich, who fatally shot himself this year while in the early stages of a bid for governor, has been returned to donors so far, campaign finance records released last week show.

Schweich had amassed nearly $1.4 million to run for the office before his Feb. 26 death at his home in the St. Louis suburb of Clayton. Campaign Treasurer Joseph Passanise can distribute those funds in any way Missouri law allows general campaign contributions to be spent, which include donations to other campaigns as well as being given to charities or returned to donors.

The campaign spent about $192,000 of its total on general bills and expenses between January and March, including thousands of dollars in severance packages for political consultants. Of what remains, almost $480,000 went back to contributors. Schweich's committee still had more than $725,000 in cash on hand as of March 31.

The committee has not funneled any money into other candidates' campaigns.

Schweich's death -- which came as he faced a primary battle with a top Republican competitor, former House speaker and U.S. attorney Catherine Hanaway -- sent ripples through Missouri politics.

Schweich had told an Associated Press reporter by phone minutes before his death that he was ready to go public with allegations that the Missouri Republican Party chairman had told donors that Schweich was Jewish. Schweich was Christian but had Jewish ancestry, and perceived the remarks as anti-Semitism.

Police reports released last week show Schweich felt so abandoned by GOP supporters, who advised him against going public with those concerns, that he told an aide the day of his death that he would have to either "run as an independent or he needed to kill himself." Police last week said the reason he shot himself still is unclear.

Schweich's death also led to a dip in fundraising for Hanaway, who stalled campaigning "to allow everyone to honor and mourn Auditor Schweich's service to our state," spokesman Nick Maddux said in a statement. He said three fundraisers were postponed.

Hanaway raised about $51,000 between January and March, bringing in nearly $40,000 in cash and about $12,000 for in-kind donations. She had more than $1.2 million in cash on hand at the end of last month.

Follow Summer Ballentine at https://www.twitter.com/esballentine