• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Friday, February 3, 2023
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

Zahnd to pay $5,000 in ethics case settlement

Ivan Foley by Ivan Foley
August 7, 2003
in Platte County
4
SHARES
94
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Ending a dispute that had carried on for years, the Missouri Republican Party and two former GOP candidates—including Eric Zahnd of Platte County—have reached a financial settlement with the Missouri Ethics Commission over campaign contributions made in 1998.

The settlement ended a case that the commission referred to as “non-allowable excess contributions” from the state Republican party.

RelatedNews

Are you up for Immersive Yoga?

Let the gourd times roll

Gibson awarded as best
assistant prosecutor in state

Under terms of the settlement, Zahnd will pay $5,000 to the state. He was his party’s candidate in a State Senate race vs. Sidney Johnson in 1998 when the state GOP gave a $59,875 donation to his campaign.

As part of the settlement, the state GOP must pay the state $60,000.

Another candidate who received a large contribution from the state Republican party was Chuck Pierce, a former candidate for state auditor. Pierce received a $122,750 donation from the party. Pierce will also pay $5,000 in the settlement.

The settlement ended a legal battle that Zahnd says was getting expensive.

“The Missouri Republican Party had paid over $100,000 in attorneys’ fees,” he said. “The attorneys’ fees had become too burdensome. It was time to move on.”

Zahnd—who last year was elected Platte County Prosecutor in a hotly-contested race against Democrat Tammy Glick—said most of his $5,000 settlement will be paid for using money from his 1998 campaign committee fund.

“I left it (the 1998 fund) open because of this ongoing dispute,” he explained.

“We always said this would be resolved without any fines and it was resolved without any fines. This is not a fine, it’s not an assessment. It’s nothing other than a settlement that the party was willing to enter into,” he said.

Zahnd says his side had won a decision at the circuit court level in Cole County. But the case had been taken to the Western District of Missouri Court of Appeals when it was settled.

“The settlement agreement clearly says neither side admits any wrongdoing. We continue to believe the party was entitled to contribute to its own candidates. At that time there were no individual contribution limits,” he said.

Zahnd said the state GOP was “deeply concerned that the ethics commission had ignored Democrats who were in the exact same position as Republican candidates” as far as alleged violation of contribution laws.

“Both the ethics commission and the Republican party chose to walk away without either side admitting any wrongdoing and without anyone paying any sort of fine,” he said in a phone interview this week.

“It was just time to move forward. This will prevent any candidate in the future from saying Eric Zahnd was fined,” he said.

Bob Connor, executive director of the Missouri Ethics Commission told the Associated Press the payment is the largest liability assessed for an alleged violation of state ethics laws in the commission’s 10-year history.

Under the settlement, the Republican Party will have to pay an additional $122,675 if it fails to pay the $60,000 or violates state campaign contribution laws.

The Republican Party will be required to make three payments of $20,000, with the first required by Monday, Aug. 11. The second payment will be due by Feb. 2, 2004, and the final payment by Aug. 2, 2004.

  

Tags: eric zahndethicsplatte county
Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley, owner/publisher of the Platte County Landmark, has been on the news beat in Kansas City's Northland for 40 years. He provides weekly observations in his Between the Lines column and serves as host of Landmark Live, a light-hearted videocast featuring newsmakers in the Northland.

Related Posts

45 Years Ago–January 27, 1978

by Ivan Foley
January 27, 2023
0

Miss Grace Ann McLain and Clifford Northern were united in marriage by the Rev. Lester Weeks at the First Christian Church in Platte City on Saturday evening, Jan. 21. The parents of the couple are Mr. and Mrs. Charles McLain...

30 Years Ago–January 23, 1993

by Ivan Foley
January 27, 2023
0

A preliminary budget calling for $7.9 million in general fund expenditures has been presented by Bob Griffith, county auditor and budget officer. General fund revenues for 1993 are expected to be the same as expenditures, $7.9 million. Last years budget...

15 Years Ago–January 23, 2008

by Ivan Foley
January 27, 2023
0

The Landmark exclusively can report a motion to terminate the employment of Keith Moody, longtime city administrator, was approved by a majority of the Platte City Board of Aldermen Tuesday night. The decision to fire Moody was made on a...

Patrick Mahomes

Ankles, schools and column etiquette

by Guy Speckman
January 27, 2023
0

I am “need a space heater at all times” years old. A lot of you are being selfish and not offering your ankles to Patrick Mahomes. You're not using a perfectly good ankle this weekend. Show some pride and make...

Next Post

Dearborn delays decision on mayor's post

Popular News

  • Joe Vanover

    Vanover wins Sunshine Law trial

    14 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • County getting ready to rearrange some chairs

    9 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 2
  • Lawsuit claims toxic heavy metals in herbs and spices

    23 shares
    Share 9 Tweet 6
  • East side Hwy. 92 will become four-lane stretch

    18 shares
    Share 7 Tweet 5
  • Ballfields in Platte City slated for improvement

    5 shares
    Share 2 Tweet 1
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Online
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem
    • Login / Sign-up
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved