Dems want to investigate Kinder aide

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Senate Democrats are seeking an investigation of Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder's top aide concerning his ownership of a political consulting company that administers a campaign fund for electing Republicans.

David Barklage, Kinder's chief of staff, owns Strategic Communications Group Inc. of Cape Girardeau, which last year took in $117,526 from the Senate Majority Fund. As a state employee, Barklage earns an annual salary of $69,599.

Barklage, a longtime GOP political operative before joining Kinder's staff, said the Democratic effort is political payback.

"I think it is a response to the fact I had a part in getting a majority for the Republican Party and the fact that my being here in the Senate has been an additional annoyance to members of the minority party," Barklage said.

Strategic Communications was involved in two special elections last year that gave Republicans a Senate majority and elevated Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, to the chamber's top leadership post.

Resolution proposed

State Sen. Harold Caskey, D-Butler, sponsored the non-binding resolution requesting an open and public investigation by the Senate Committee on Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics.

Caskey said he isn't accusing Barklage of any wrongdoing, but said the appearance of impropriety, which first came to light in a Kansas City Star story published Friday, merits review by the Senate.

"What I'm saying is the entire Senate is on trial," Caskey said. "It behooves us to make sure the window is wide open and the sun is shining in."

To maintain public confidence in the Senate, Caskey said proving Barklage did nothing wrong is just as important as exposing any ethical violations, if they did in fact take place.

Several Democrats agreed during debate on the resolution, which lasted more than an hour.

"With the things that have been said recently, I believe there should be some kind of clearing of the air," said state Sen. Ed Quick, D-Liberty and the minority floor leader.

Caskey had sought an immediate vote on his resolution. However, Kinder offered a substitute that instead sent the measure to committee. The Senate endorsed Kinder's substitute on an 18-14 party-line vote.

Kinder and state Sen. Bill Kenney, R-Lee's Summit and chairman of the committee, both promised a prompt hearing.

"The committee will look into this in a timely manner and all the facts will be laid before the committee," Kinder said.

If the Republican-controlled committee approves the resolution, it would have to go back to the full Senate for additional debate and win passage before an investigation would be conducted.

Ethics panel consulted

Kinder said guidance was sought last year from the Missouri Ethics Commission, which provided two letters that Kinder said cleared any impediments to Barklage working for the Senate. That information wasn't included in the Star's story, but the article did stress that no laws were broken.

The letters, provided by Barklage to reporters after the Senate's debate, stated that there would be no apparent conflict of interest for a state employee to own shares in a political consulting firm or to work for such a firm, as long as the work isn't done on state time and the employee doesn't use confidential information gained through his state employment.

However, one letter stated that Senate policies relating to this matter should be consulted.

A Senate staff code of conduct adopted last month prohibits employees from using their positions for personal gain.

Barklage said his firm won 27 of the 28 races it consulted for in the 2000 election cycle and was in demand. Putting it on the back burner to work for the Senate cost him potential profits, rather than enriching him.

"I could have made a great deal more money at a time when we had such great success by not being with the Senate," Barklage said. "Basically, the business was put on hold and I had to turn down business I wanted to do. I've taken a financial hit by being here."

Barklage said he hasn't pocketed a dime from Strategic Communications since coming to work for Kinder a year ago. Barklage said the company was hired to manage the Senate Majority Fund in 1997 by then-state Sen. Steve Ehlman of St. Charles, who at the time was the chamber's ranking Republican.

The fund is currently the company's only client. Most of the money it receives from the fund goes to cover expenses and employee salaries, Barklage said. Barklage said he took the Senate job because it was a unique opportunity to help Kinder institute reforms after 50-plus years of Democratic control. Barklage originally planned to leave following the end of the 2001 legislative session, but the workload grew so he decided to stay for another year.

mpowers@semissourian.com

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