Senator Roy Blunt’s deep lobbying ties made front page news on Sunday, as the Springfield News-Leader examined the conflicts of interest created since his son Andy manages Blunt’s reelection while continuing his work as a Missouri lobbyist. The report revealed that in the past nine months while managing his father’s campaign, Blunt has “added seven new clients to his already packed roster.”
The report quotes the policy director from the Campaign Legal Center as saying:
“The whole situation is troublesome…Anytime that you have an immediate family member who is a lobbyist involved in issues and with clients that have (agendas) at both the state and federal level, unless there is some Chinese wall that’s been built … it all meshes together… They are going to assume, whether it’s true or not, that he has special access to the senator and that he would be able to have extra influence with the senator.”
Even though Blunt has told reporters “I thought you were told I wasn’t going to talk about this,” the Sunday front-page story was only the latest in a string of bad headlines for the vulnerable Senator’s reelection efforts:
Springfield News-Leader: Andrew Blunt’s lobbying work faces scrutiny as he manages father’s re-election bid
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Andy Blunt says there’s no conflict between his lobbying and running his father’s campaign
Kansas City Star: Andy Blunt insists there’s no conflict of interest
Springfield Business Journal: Andy Blunt: No conflict between lobbying work, father’s Senate campaign
Politico: Blunt combines lobbying, campaign managing in Missouri
National Journal: Blunt’s Son Sees No Conflict of Interest Between Lobbying and Running Father’s Campaign
“The questions surrounding Roy Blunt’s conflicts of interest in Missouri are not going to go away, no matter how hard he tries to ignore them,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “Missourians have a right to know where Roy Blunt’s interests lie, and Blunt should stop hiding and talk straight about his close ties to the lobbying industry.”
