A New York Times investigation into the lobbying of Attorneys General has focused a great deal on Missouri’s Attorney General.
Attorney General Chris Koster
The Times leads off by reporting that Attorney General Chris Koster halted an investigation of false claims by the makers of 5-Hour Energy drinks after a lobbyist for the company spoke to him at an event in California.
The Times reports that lobbyist’s firm, its clients and its partners have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Koster, a candidate for Missouri Governor in 2016, in some cases while his office was investigating those companies. He has also been included in public service ads sponsored by the firm and has spoken at public events it hosted.
Koster tells the Times he felt the suit lacked merit and denies that contributions or relationships prompted any of his office’s decisions that appear to benefit the firm’s clients.
House Speaker Tim Jones has issued a statement calling the situations outlined in the article “egregious” and saying he is looking into how the House can investigate the findings of the article.
