Jay Nixon pays $47,000 for political use of car, staff

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Democrat Jay Nixon's gubernatorial campaign paid the state more than $47,000 Friday to cover the use of his attorney general's staff and state vehicle for political purposes over the past three years.

Nixon's campaign also said it has begun leasing a vehicle for his political events.

The payment caps a transformation by Nixon, who had staunchly defended the use of his state staff and car as necessary security measures while traveling on personal and political trips.

Although Missouri law prohibits state vehicles from being used for private purposes, Nixon justified the practice by claiming he is always on duty as attorney general -- even when campaigning for governor.

After enduring about a week of criticism, Nixon's campaign announced Oct. 12 that it would reimburse the state for Nixon's political use of state resources -- both going forward and dating back to the start of the current election cycle in November 2004.

Nixon has been campaigning since fall 2005 to challenge Republican Gov. Matt Blunt in the November 2008 elections.

Nixon's campaign paid the state $47,021.91 on Friday, said spokesman Oren Shur. That includes $27,082.24 as reimbursement for the time attorney general's staff members spent serving as his security aides on political trips and $19,939.67 to compensate for political mileage on the state car, Shur said.

"This is a voluntary move to allow the focus of this race to return to the issues that matter most, like fixing our state's health care crisis and making college more affordable," Shur said. "Now Missourians are waiting for Matt Blunt to do the same and reimburse the state for all the taxpayer money he spends for his security at political events."

A 2005 state law requires the Missouri State Highway Patrol to provide security and transportation to the governor, a practice that existed long before then. The law makes no distinction between when the governor is on official or political business, and it contains no similar security mandate for other statewide officials.

But Shur noted that the law also contains no prohibition against a governor voluntarily reimbursing the state for the patrol's expenses during his political events.

Blunt's campaign already pays for both his official and political flights, using chartered and corporate planes instead of the state's fleet. But it will not reimburse the state for political trips taken in state cars, said Blunt campaign spokesman John Hancock.

"The patrol is required to provide that transportation and security for the governor; it's not something we have the ability to accept or not," Hancock said.

Blunt's spokesman also criticized Nixon's campaign for calculating its own reimbursement costs.

"This is the equivalent of a lawbreaker deciding what his fine ought to be," Hancock said. "When I get pulled over by a police officer for speeding, I don't get to say, `Here's $25, I think that will cover it."'

Blunt's deputy commissioner for administration, Rich AuBuchon, sent Nixon a letter later Friday asking him to provide verification that the $47,000 was the "proper and adequate" amount of restitution. AuBuchon said he was asking Republican State Treasurer Sarah Steelman to refrain from depositing Nixon's check until the state receives the expense verification.

Shur said the payment likely provides more money than necessary.

Nixon's campaign had detailed records only back to July 2006. So the campaign calculated the actual amount of political miles driven (24,401) and the number of days on which staff accompanied him on political events (158) from then until now, Shur said. It then took an average for that period and applied it retroactively through November 2004, even though Nixon likely went to fewer political events in those early stages of his campaign, Shur said.

The mileage reimbursement was calculated at the state's standard rate, which Shur said was 25 cents a mile for this year and 23 cents a mile for last year.

The reimbursement for staff time was based on the employees' average salary and calculated as if they had spent the entire day on political security duty, even though they may have spent just a few hours, Shur said.

When traveling on political business, Nixon now will used a leased Chevrolet Suburban instead of his state-supplied Ford Crown Victoria, Shur said. Attorney general's office staff still will accompany Nixon for security, but they will be paid for by the campaign, he said.