Jones PAC Powered By Construction Unions, Cannabis
While construction magnate Bob Clark’s six figure donation to A Brighter Future for St. Louis PAC grabbed headlines, Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) reports show that the Spencer-supporting PAC isn’t alone in being largely funded by construction interests. 314 Forward PAC, which is supporting Mayor Jones’ reelection, has raised tens of thousands of dollars in donations from construction and real estate interests.
314 Forward PAC’s largest donor of the cycle is the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council MO-KS Area PAC. The Carpenters Union has long been a major player in local politics. Still, their $25,000 dollar donation is a fraction of the $100,000 donated to former President of the Board of Aldermen Lewis Reed’s PAC in the last mayoral election. There is the potential for additional donations from the union. They are not the only construction union to give to the PAC. The Plumbers and Pipefitters Union also donated $10,000 to the PAC, making them the PAC’s second largest contributor. Multiple Laborers Union locals have made sizable donations, and IBEW Local 1 has also contributed.
Other construction and real estate donors made significant contributions to the PAC. These donors include Anthony Thompson (Kwame Construction), Vince Bennett (CEO of McCormack Baron Salazar), Webb Engineering Services, St. Louis Association of Realtors PAC, and the architecture arm of City Foundry developer The Lawrence Group.
It has also received multiple donations from Protect Missouri Workers PAC. While the PAC’s name may sound union-oriented, MEC reports show that it is actually a political giving vehicle for Asbestos law firm Simmons Hanly Conroy. These donations appear to total $3500.
Cannabis dispensaries and lobbyists are another business interest group that has made a coordinated push for donations. The campaign reports thousands in donations from MOCANNTRADE PAC, Beleaf Life Oils, Curador Holdings, and others involved in the recreational and medicinal marijuana trade. These donations were all made on January 9th.
This cycle’s third largest donor to 314 Forward PAC appears to be Missouri Growth PAC, which has contributed more than $6000 in two separate donations. This PAC is known to be connected to Steve Tilley, a lobbyist and former Republican speaker of the Missouri House. Strategic Capitol Consulting, another Tilley-connected firm, contributed $2500 in January. An additional $1000 dollars was donated by a Strategic Capitol Consulting employee, bringing the total donations from Tilley-related groups to almost $10,000.
As of the latest MEC report, 314 Forward PAC has $123,528.92 in cash-on-hand.
UPDATE: Article was updated with the addition of reported cash-on-hand amount.
