DNR and Nixon

The park superintendent and his family were the only people injured Dec. 14 when 1 billion gallons of water in an AmerenUE reservoir tore through Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park.

Ameren has reached a settlement with the injured family, and DNR has billed the utility nearly half a million dollars to pay for the cleanup of the park.

The issue remains of how much in damages Ameren will pay the state and has become a political football that's still bouncing down the field.

In April, Attorney General Jay Nixon said he would soon file civil or criminal charges against Ameren. When that didn't occur, speculation arose that Nixon was working on a settlement with Ameren. Next came a revelation that AmerenUE had made recent donations totaling $19,000 to campaign finance groups that passed the money along to Nixon. Nixon at first said he would keep the money, then changed his mind.

DNR director Doyle Childers initially asked Nixon to recuse himself from pursuing a case against Ameren. When Nixon refused Childers fired the attorney general, a decision he said he made without consulting Gov. Matt Blunt. DNR's own lawyers will handle any litigation.

Nixon still is heading an investigation that at least potentially could lead to criminal charges. Childers points out that Nixon still wields considerable power in the case because a criminal finding against Ameren would negate its insurance coverage.

Last week, the state Democratic Party pointed out Republican Blunt's ties to Ameren, including the utility's contributions to his campaign. However, contributions haven't been made since the reservoir collapse.

Whether the case is settled or suits are filed, the disclosure of Ameren's contributions to Nixon point to the wisdom of the campaign financing law passed by the legislature this year. The law will prevent just the kind of commonplace "laundering" of campaign donations that occurred between Ameren and Nixon.