Missouri's Adam Smith Foundation gives $498,000 to repeal California's greenhouse gas law

by: Michael Bersin

Mon Apr 19, 2010 at 20:20:31 PM CDT

Obviously, they must believe their work in Missouri is done.

Assembly Bill 32, directed at reducing greenhouse gases in California, was passed and signed into law by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006.

Missouri group gives $500,000 to AB 32 repeal effort
By Anthony York | 04/19/10 12:00 AM PST

Adam Smith's invisible hand has found its way into California politics.

Last week, a nonprofit group called the Adam Smith Foundation, based in Jefferson City, Missouri, gave $498,000 to the campaign to repeal California's greenhouse gas law. That's quite a contribution, considering the group's entire revenues for the last two years were just $30,000 per year.

What's more curious is how the donation fits in with the group's stated mission. According to documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service,  the Adam Smith Foundation describes itself as "an advocacy organization committed to promoting conservative principles and individual liberties in Missouri. The Adam Smith Foundation was created to defend judicial reform, government accountability, education reform, tax and spending reform and protecting private property."

So how did the fight to repeal AB 32 get on the foundation's radar? And who gave money to the foundation to give to the campaign in California? Unfortunately, federal records don't show us that. The phone number on their federal forms has been disconnected, and an e-mail sent through the group's Web site Monday was not returned....

The Adam Smith Foundation filed its annual report with the Missouri Secretary of State on July 17, 2009. Its officers and board:

Pres: John Elliott, Smithville, MO

Asst Sec'y: Thomas J. Shupe, Jr., St. Louis, MO

Board of Directors:

Kurt Killen, Platte Woods, MO

William Clark Hardin, IV, St. Charles, MO

John Elliott, Smithville, MO

The Adam Smith Foundation's registered agent is Registered Agent, Ltd. at the address of Lathrop & Gage in Kansas City, Missouri.

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received
Committee: SHOWME BETTER COURTS
Report Date: 4/13/2010

A. ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM COMMITTEES REGARDLESS OF THE AMOUNT, OR FROM PERSONS GIVING MORE THAN $100 TO A COMMITTEE.

James Harris Jefferson City MO01/01/2010 $100.00

David Humphreys Joplin MO 03/09/2010 $75,000.00

American Democracy Alliance Kansas City MO 03/17/2010 $100,000.00

Gordon Kinne Springfield MO 03/22/2010 $5,000.00

J Michael Conoyer St Peters MO 03/24/2010 $5,000.00

David Humphreys Joplin MO 03/29/2010 $75,000.00

Lt. Col. John Robert Harris II Washington MO 03/29/2010 $30.00

Lois Linton Ballwin MO 03/31/2010 $20.00

Missouri Federation of Animal Owners Eldon MO 03/31/2010 $10.00

Lewis and Karen Strange Eldon MO 65026 03/31/2010 $10.00

Thomas and Beverly Shupe St. Louis MO 03/31/2010 $10.00

( 8. TOTAL: ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS THIS PERIOD : $260,180.00 )
9. AMOUNT OF ITEM 8 THAT WAS RECEIVED AS MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS $260,180.00
10. AMOUNT OF ITEM 8 THAT WAS RECEIVED AS IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS $0.00
B. NON-ITEMIZED CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED
11. TOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED AT FUND-RAISERS AS REPORTED IN LINE 8 ON FORM CD 1A $0.00
12. TOTAL ANONYMOUS CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $25 OR LESS $0.00
13. TOTAL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00
14. TOTAL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS RECEIVED FROM PERSONS (NOT COMMITTEES) GIVING $100 OR LESS $0.00
C. LOANS RECEIVED
NO LOANS RECEIVED
21. TOTAL:  ALL IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS (SUM 10 + 14) $0.00
22. TOTAL:  ALL MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS (SUM 9, 11, 12 & 13) $260,180.00
23. MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS AND LOANS RECEIVED REQUIRING A RECORD OF NAME AND ADDRESS (SUM 9, 13 & 20) $260,180.00

That's it for contributions this quarter. Uh, you think that handful of small dollar contributions are there for a reason?

But, wait, there's more. The same PAC filed a required 48 hour report for contributions over $5000 on April 16th [pdf]:

SHOWME BETTER COURTS 4/16/2010

Herzog Contracting Corporation St. Joseph, MO 4/16/2010 150,000.00

That's serious cash for people like the rest of us who aren't in the top 1%.

There's even more (we did a little digging):

Detailed Summary of Contributions And Loans Received
Committee: CITIZENS AGAINST FOREVER TAX - DEBT SERVICE
Report Date: 9/3/2009

John Elliott Smithville MO Self Employed Data Base Specialist 07/29/2009 $600.00

American Democracy Alliance Kansas City MO 08/03/2009 $12,000.00

Adam Smith Foundation Jefferson City MO 8/12/2009 $2,500.00

And what did they oppose?:

Detailed Summary Of Direct Expenditure Report
Committe: CITIZENS AGAINST FOREVER TAX - DEBT SERVICE
ReportDate: 9/29/2009

B. BALLOT MEASURES

Shall Platte County impose a 1/2 Cent Sales Tax for parks and storm water drainage? 08/04/2009 Oppose $25,628.87

How do you get from opposing a public works project on a county-wide ballot to advocating the repeal of the greenhouse gas reduction law in California? Just asking.

The board members of the Adam Smith Foundation don't appear to be big buck contributors:

C031160 FRIENDS OF TILLEY KURT KILLEN PLATTE WOODS MO COLLEGIATE PRINT TECHNOLOGIES 03/16/2009 $20.00 APRIL - COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C010795 JASON BROWN FOR SENATE Kurt Killen Kansas City, MO 64151 self-employed 10/13/2009 $100.00 OCTOBER - COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C091196 CITIZENS FOR RON SCHIEBER Kurt Killen Platte Woods, MO 12/31/2009 $100.00 JANUARY - COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

C091196 CITIZENS FOR RON SCHIEBER Kurt Killen Platte Woods, 3/12/2010 $200.00 APRIL - COMMITTEE QUARTERLY REPORT

Where did that $498,000 that the Adam Smith Foundation contributed come from? Just asking.