There is at least one Democrat who wants Mike Parson back in Jefferson City. On Monday, Democratic House Minority Leader Rep. Ashley Aune drafted a letter asking that the former governor appear before the House Budget Committee to explain why a budget request from the current governor includes $250,000 for Parson’s nonprofit.
That nonprofit, The 57 Foundation, was established by Parson as a “continuation” of his and his wife Teresa’s public service. The earmark includes $125,000 from general revenue and another $125,000 from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund.
Get a fresh take on the day’s top news
Subscribe to the St. Louis Daily newsletter for a smart, succinct guide to local news from award-winning journalists Sarah Fenske and Ryan Krull.
In an interview with SLM, Aune was skeptical of the six-figure earmark to the former governor’s nonprofit when Kehoe has recently proposed freezing funding for education and stopping funding to nonprofits the state has long partnered with. “It’s mind boggling to me that he would recommend spending a quarter-million dollars on what appears to be a vanity project for his friend,” she said.
She added, “It’s worth noting that the address for the Parson foundation is the law office of a personal injury lawyer and former Republican representative,” she said. “I mean, talk about the Jeff City swamp.”
A phone call to Tom Burcham, a former Republican state representative who is now a Farmington attorney billing himself as working in “toxic tort” law, wasn’t returned. Burcham is The 57 Foundation’s president.
Kehoe spokeswoman Gabby Picard told SLM, “Governor Kehoe found the 57 Foundation to be a worthy cause to provide an immediate hand-up for those working families who need temporary assistance. The General Assembly will have the opportunity to weigh the merits and see if they agree during the normal appropriations process.”
Picard added that the appropriation is to “assist the 57 Foundation … with providing financial assistance to hard-working Missourians struggling to make ends meet due to unexpected, unforeseen, and difficult circumstances.” The statement from the governor’s office cited examples of the foundation’s work, including it covering one month’s rent for a leukemia patient who could only work reduced hours while undergoing treatment and also paying for car repairs for a father of three who worked at a convenience store but whose car broke down.
The website for the foundation consists of little more than a landing page explaining that Parson intends to use the nonprofit to help Missourians who can’t make ends meet despite being employed. Donations are to be mailed to a P.O. box in Bolivar.
Aune’s letter notes that the foundation’s tax forms state that its first objective is to educate the public about the former governor. Its second stated objective on the tax filing is “simple, straightforward charitable giving in Missouri to benefit only those who are unadequately [sic] able to help themselves.”
Says Aune, “I lack trust in an organization that has blatant typos in their IRS filings.”
Aune wrote that at a January 28 Budget Committee hearing, officials were unable to explain “exactly how this money would be used.” She added: “Their inability to answer this simple question lends credence to concerns that the funding would do nothing to help needy Missourians and everything to burnish the self-image of a retired politician.”
Aune’s letter was not addressed to Parson, but to House Budget Committee Chairman Dirk Deaton, requesting that he call Parson before the committee to answer questions. She added that, should Parson decline, House Speaker Jon Patterson could issue a subpoena.
In the last year, the state’s balance sheet has dropped precipitously, from a $4.3 billion surplus last June to just an estimate of just $261 million by the end of the fiscal year this June. Kehoe has asked for $600 million in spending cuts; even a $300,000 registry to track cases of Parkinson’s disease was thought to be too costly. Explaining that veto last month, spokeswoman Gabby Picard told SLM, “Governor Kehoe supports tax cuts and is proud to return Missourians’ hard-earned dollars back to them, but the reduction in state revenues must be accounted for in current and future budget decisions.”
Other programs currently zeroed out in Kehoe’s proposed 2027 budget include Annie Malone– Pathways for Independence and United Way STL.
