Kinder wants to move the “nimbus”: Campaign will pay state $35,000

Lt. Governor Peter Kinder

— Seeking to quell days of criticism regarding $35,000 of tax payer funded hotel stays, Lt. Governor Peter Kinder announced that his campaign committee will repay the state for all of the St. Louis travel.

“I want to go beyond what is required, to put this behind me. I seek to move this nimbus off the horizon and let’s get on to the real issues that concern this state,” Kinder said at a press conference Tuesday. “I do not want the slightest taint of suspicion attached to my name or my public service.”

Kinder called on the state to equally divide the $35,000 his campaign is repaying the state on half drop-out prevention, and the other half to the Amaci Mentoring Program through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters.

“Leadership is about more than merely following the rules. It’s about setting an example,” Kinder said.

Kinder told reporters that on some of the trips he may have attended “after hours” political events, but contended that since they were not the main reason for the trip he was within ethical rules to bill those nights to the state. He was unapologetic for the travel.

“I am proud of my commitment of getting to know various regions of our state, and that includes our state’s largest metropolitan area,” he said.

Politically, Republicans are flustered about Kinder’s flap ahead of his likely gubernatorial run next year.

“He should get it together,” said one Republican operative. “Nixon is pretty strong, [and] others in the GOP are willing to stand on the sidelines during this cycle and see what happens.”

The Democratic Governors Association, who originally called on Kinder to reimburse the state, said Kinder’s announcement that his campaign will be renting a condo in St. Louis raised new questions.

“So he has gone from financing his lavish lifestyle with taxpayer dollars to now subsidizing it with funding from political donors. Beyond the legal and ethical questions that this current arrangement raises, it continues to show how out-of-touch with Missouri families Kinder really is,” said Lis Smith, spokesman for the DGA.

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