Steelman aid working for state, campaign

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- A top deputy for State Treasurer Sarah Steelman has been working full time on her gubernatorial campaign while on paid vacation from his state job.

Assistant Treasurer Doug Gaston has been working as Steelman's campaign spokesman for at least the past six weeks while using state vacation time he saved up, Gaston told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Gaston said his state vacation runs out this week, and he then will be working for the campaign full time while "volunteering" with the state when his services are needed.

It's illegal for state employees to do campaign work on state time or use state resources. But Steelman's office said that is not happening.

"At no time did Doug perform campaign work on state time," Steelman said in a written statement. "We have scheduled a planning session this weekend in which I will determine the roles of staff going forward.

"What is certain is that ... political staff will not perform official duties and government officials will not perform political functions."

But Gaston may have continued to do state work while on vacation. On March 5, for example, Gaston was quoted as the assistant treasurer in an Associated Press story while explaining how Steelman errantly overstated the economic effect of illegal immigration in Missouri.

A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who is Steelman's opponent in the Republican gubernatorial primary, called Gaston's arrangement problematic.

"It appears to be a clear abuse of taxpayer resources," said Hulshof spokesman Scott Baker.

Baker took vacation from Hulshof's congressional office in the early days of his gubernatorial campaign. But he hasn't been a government employee since March 1. Hulshof's ethics committee reports show Baker is now being paid by the campaign.

Steelman's campaign finance report filed Tuesday didn't show any payments to Gaston. In fact, it showed no payments to any campaign staff, other than two payments to consultant Axiom Strategies of Kansas City. Gaston said he is not being paid by Axiom.

The issue isn't necessarily whether Gaston's role is illegal or unethical, but whether it appears improper, said George Connor, acting head of the political science department at Missouri State University.

"This is not an arrangement that meets the smell test," Connor said. "He's entitled to his vacation time. But for a state employee to actually work on a state campaign is a conflict of interest. It might be legal. It might be ethical. But it's still a conflict of interest."

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