JCRE

Johnson County Republicans for Education
(PAC Report Address)
7933 Foster, Overland Park, KS 66204 (original address)

Note: this address was used with the July 2002 and Oct 2002 PAC reports, but Steve Cloud's IBT address, 9400 W. 55th Street, was used with Jan 2003 report. In the Jan 2004 and July 2004 reports this was obfuscated a bit by changing JCRE's address to IBT's P.O. Box 2982, Shawnee Mission, KS

BUT, PAC mailings in 2004 were from the original 7933 Foster address.

The Johnson County Republicans for Education shared the same phone and fax numbers with Kansas Citizens for Excellence in Education. This shared phone number was included in their endorsement mailings. The fax was also shared with Kansas Third District Republicans at 7932 Sante Fe Drive.

These mailings included precinct-level endorsements, including precinct committees, which was also made in mailings by Steve Cloud's GOP Club.

One of the GOP Club post cards included the note: "Also endorsed by Johnson County Republicans for Education"

In the Kansas Secretary of State's PAC Listing from Dec 2002 and Feb 2004:

PAC Chairman:
Stephen Cloud, 9400 W 55th St, Merriam, KS 66203

Treasurer: Pat Smith, 6931 Sante Fe, Overland Park, KS 66204

Rose also told the audience that "at least $75,000" would be spent on television and radio ads to promote high voter turnout and the quarter-cent sales tax issue and "at least another $50,000" would be spent to support favored candidates. (See JoCo Sun article)

Did this money all come from Missouri and the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce? How did Rose know about all this money?

In July 2002 over half of JCRE's money came from the GKC Chamber PAC from their $20,000 contribution. In the Octoer 2002 Report, over half of JCRE's money came from Steve Cloud's wife, who gave $10,000.

Who started this group? Was it Dick Bond? Was it Steve Cloud? Was it a group of Metcalf Bank executives? Follow the link to look at the details of this initial report for an idea.

Over half of the money from this reporting period was from this single contribution. $28,873 to the KC Star's "Star Direct"! See link for details.

Over half of the money from this reporting period was from Steve Cloud's wife in this single contribution. $25,534 to the KC Star's "Star Direct" service isn't exactly pocket change. Follow the link for additional details.

In this letter signed by JCRE's Brent Doane (and copied to Steve Cloud and Path Smith), JCRE fixed several reporting errors in earlier reports. In their July 29, 2002 report, they left out $100 contributions from Brant Tidwell and Larry Winn Jr (former Congressman, not Larry Winn III) on April 4, 2002. On May 6, 2002, State Senator John Vratil contributed $100 to JCRE.

January 2003 Report
(Moved to Steve Cloud's IBT Street Address, 9400 W. 55th Street)

Due to a technicality in state law, State Rep Rob Boyer had to return the JCRE check and have it re-issued with a new date. It's unclear why Steve Cloud chose to make a single $200 contribution and include a copy of that check with the copy of the Boyer matter in the JCRE report to the Ethics Commission:

Cloud's connection to the Gold Bank is just a coincidence? Mike Gullion is the chair of Gold Bank, and former Lt. Gov. Gary Sherrer is now an Exec VP there. Gullion received $50,000 from the Greater Kansas City Chamber in 2002 for his Committee to Support our Schools (look at the "Gold Bank" in the fax header of this link). He claims he gave $10,000 of this to Larry Winn's Committee for Excellence in JoCo Schools (but Larry claims he got the money directly from the Chamber). With Cloud's $20,000 from the Chamber in 2002, this connection just about explains the $70,000 (or is it $80,000) direct participation of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce in the 2002 elections in JoCo -- not counting the Chamber's direct contributions to State Rep candidates in JoCo and statewide..

Here's one more perplexing item found with the JCRE Jan 2003 report. When Rob Boyer was required by the Ethics Commission to have a check re-issued, why is JCRE's Brent Doane (Shane Jones' business partner) at the Adam Taff for Congress Office instead of the "normal" JCRE address at 7933 Foster (back door of buidling), or the Shane Jones business address of 7932 Sante Fe (front door of building). What's the connection between Adam Taff for Congress and the JCRE PAC?

With Governor Graves no longer a player in Kansas politics, and with memories of Senator Nancy Kassebaum and Congresswoman Jan Meyers fading, what will the GOP Club do to retain it control of power in Johnson County? Does JCRE really want to "help" education, or is this an issue that Steve Cloud and the GOP Club will use just to retain power?

PAC Report Analysis:

On June 26, 2002, The Johnson County Republicans for Education received $20,000 from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce PAC. This was reported (see graphic above) in their July 29, 2002 report to the Kansas Ethics Commission.

The total contributions for the July 29, 2002 reporting period was $38,970. The total contributions dropped to $18,450 in the Oct 28, 2002 report.

The Missouri Secretary of State has much of their recent reporting online and free (compared with the offline and $0.50/page copy charge from the Kansas Secreatry of State).. The GKC Chamber PAC report details their $20,000 contribution in their July 2002 Quarter Report. To simplify navigation of that site, several parts of that July 2002 report can be viewed in this PDF file.

The Missouri Secretary of State shows that Bistate Arts & Sports is an inactive Missouri non-profit corporation. (on the web site, click on "Filed Documents" for additional information.)

What is the source of the money for this non-profit Missouri corporation? Was any tax-deductible money contributed to this Missouri non-profit that was later sent to a Kansas PAC and spent for both a tax issue and political candidates? I do not know how to answer those questions.

Is anything else know about the Bistate Arts & Sports non-profit corporation? The annual report from 6/27/2002 gives this information:

Stephen F. Rose, from JoCo Sun Publications is one of the board members of this non-profit Missouri corporation.

The fact that the non-profit Missouri BiState Arts and Sports Corporation sent money to a Kansas PAC, AND Kansas candidates for state office, via a Missouri PAC, seems to be inconsistent with at least the spirit of a 6/7/2002 statement by Stephen F. Rose to the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission in which he "unregistered" the "Kansas Bistate Renewal Committee" as a PAC. Rose stated in that letter "The Kansas Committee has not and will not contribute to any individual campaign candidate."

Maybe I don't understand something here: Rose did NOT spend any money in "supporting a the passage of a ballot measure to renew a Kansas City metropolitan area tax", BUT money from his Missouri non-profit corporation, given to a Missouri PAC, was given to a Kansas PAC, Johnson County Republicans for Education. JCRE then used the money for both a sales tax initiative, AND for contributions directly to candidates. In addition, the Missouri Greater KC Chamber PAC also gave money (that can be traced to a non-profit Missouri corporation) to many of the same Kansas candidates for state office.

See additional info here: Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.

First mailing was dated Oct 25, 2001 from Gov. Bill Graves kicking off campaign to "support Republican candidates who are supportive of public education" in Aug 2002 primary election.

http://www.opks.org/foundation/alumni_dir.htm#G's
Cindy Green (2001)
Assistant Vice President
Metcalf Bank
11900 College Boulevard
Overland Park, KS 66210
913-901-3024
Fax: 913-469-0062
Email: cgreen@metcalfbank.com

Areas of Interest:
. Political
. Education
. Non-Profit Volunteer Work

Current Involvement:
. Johnson County Republicans for Education