Platte County Election Board Files Ethics Complaint Against Hutsler
The Platte County Board of Elections filed a complaint Friday with the Missouri Ethics Commission regarding Tom Hutsler’s failure to report his Parkville mayoral campaign financials.
Specifically, Hutsler did not file his 30-day-after financial report, which was due on May 8. Hutsler has received a $10 fine for every business day he has been late. The fines, election officials told The Luminary , will cap at $300 but the Ethics Commission may choose to levy an additional fine of their own.
When contacted by The Luminary, Hutsler said the violation “happens to everybody” and was no big deal.
“If you’re late one day, the election board sends the complaint. It’s a common thing actually, it’s not news.” Hutsler said. He explained that he needed extra time to compile his invoices and work with his treasurer on completing the forms and planned on filing his paperwork with the County on Tuesday, May 20. As of Wednesday, Hutsler still had not filed.
Wendy Flanigan, director of the Platte County Board of Elections, said that her office did send Hutsler a reminder to file via certified mail on May 9 but had yet to hear back from the candidate, so they proceeded with the ethics complaint. Flanigan said a failure to file happens “once or twice” a year.
Flanigan said that campaigns spending less than $1,000 need not file with her office. According to Hutsler’s last filing in November, he had spent $2,232.53 on his campaign.
In recent weeks, Hutsler has been active on the ethics complaint front himself. Hutsler maintains that former Mayor Kathy Dusenbery wrongfully entered into the Parkville mayoral campaign when she forwarded an e-mail to at least 15 persons that contained campaign literature of Gerry Richardson. The e-mail contained her title and that, Hutlser alleges, is a violation of the city’s ethics ordinance, which prohibits elected officials from using their title when campaigning. Hutsler filed a complaint to the Missouri Ethics Commission in the matter. At Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Aldermen the Parkville Ethics Commission advised the board that Dusenbery appeared to have violated the Ethics Code, but recommended that no action be taken in the matter (see full story above).
When contacted by The Luminary, Dusenbery said she wasn’t surprised to hear the news.
“It’s interesting how the law never applies to Hutsler. That’s him — 100 percent.” Dusenbery said.
Check back to ParkvilleLuminary.com for more updates on this breaking story.
(Editor’s note: corrects due date of filing)