Attorney General Chris Koster is facing some of the strongest criticism he has faced since he left the Republican Party in 2008, but for now, top Missouri Democrats are standing quietly by.

The timing of a searing story on the cover of the New York Times couldn’t be worse for Attorney General Chris Koster, as the second-term Democrat tries to keep the field clear for a 2016 primary.

In a statement Wednesday, Koster said his office “reviews each case on its merits,” and slammed the paper with verbiage reminiscent of a conservative Republican railing against The Grey Lady.

“Today’s article in the New York Times misrepresents the facts, distorting events to create an appearance of impropriety where none exists,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill was the only one to weigh in on Wednesday. In a statement, McCaskill said, “I’m confident Attorney General Koster is taking serious the issues highlighted by this story.”

With Election Day 2014 about to pass, potential candidates for statewide office are looking now at whether they want to be on the ballot in Election Day 2016. For them, the story alleging a cozy relationship between Koster and his big campaign donors could be used as ammunition against him.

McCaskill, herself, is one of those who is quietly considering a run. Former Lt. Gov. Joe Maxwell, a Democrat who has raised concerns with Koster’s relationship and interactions with donors most recently highlighted in the ‘right to farm’ debate, is another. He was not responsive Wednesday to a request for comment.

The allegations concerning Koster and money in politics come as the state’s Democratic party has aimed to criticize former U.S. Attorney Catherine Hanaway, the only announced Republican candidate for the job, for accepting big checks money from large donors. On Tuesday, Roy Temple, chairman of the Missouri Democratic Party, said Hanaway’s candidacy was “for sale” because she had accepted nearly $1 million in contributions from St. Louis billionaire Rex Sinquefield.

A day later, however, Temple was silent, unresponsive to a request for comment about the New York Times allegations.