Springfield company launches attack ads against state Rep. Kathy Swan

Editor's Note: This story has been updated.

A not-for-profit corporation based in Springfield, Missouri, is funding digital attack ads against state Rep. Kathy Swan, accusing her of opposing “Trump’s agenda” and being “just like (former U.S. Sen.) Claire McCaskill.”

The ads state Swan “doesn’t know the needs of the Bootheel.”

Swan told the Southeast Missourian on Friday the accusations are false.

“It is frustrating,” she said of the attack ads that have been posted online.

Kathy Swan

The ads list the Show Me Success Missouri corporation as paying for the political attack.

Show Me Success Missouri was established Feb. 28, according to incorporation documents filed with the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office. George Husted of Springfield is listed as the incorporator.

The online ad, viewed by the Southeast Missourian, accuses Swan of voting against Missouri House Bill 851, a measure that would allow the state’s pharmacy board to set up a pilot program regarding technology assisted dispensing of medication.

But Swan said she saw a digital ad that took her to task for voting in a House committee against House Bill 581, a measure that allows for expansion of charter schools in Missouri.

Swan said the pharmacy bill has not come up for a vote in the House. She said she believes the ad campaign is an effort to get her to back the charter schools legislation.

Holly Rehder

Swan said she doesn’t know the group that took out the ads against her.

The Cape Girardeau lawmaker and fellow Republican House member Holly Rehder of Scott County announced in February they will compete for a state Senate seat next year.

The two lawmakers are seeking to replace state Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, for the 27th District Senate seat. The district encompasses six counties: Cape Girardeau, Scott, Bollinger, Perry, Madison and Wayne.

Wallingford is term limited and so are the two House members. Under state law, lawmakers are limited to serving eight years in the House and eight years in the Senate.

Swan and Rehder are nearing the end of their fourth, two-year terms and cannot seek re-election to their House seats.

Rehder said Friday she is not involved in the ad campaign against Swan.

She said she has no affiliation with Show Me Success Missouri and has no involvement with the ads attacking Swan.

Rehder, however, said attack ads are “just part of running for office.”

While she acknowledges her upcoming election campaign, Rehder said “it is a little early to start spending money.”

A campaign finance report filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission shows she spent more than $17,000 during the first three months of 2019.

But Rehder said Saturday in an email to the Southeast Missourian that she has not spent that money "attacking opponents."

Show Me Success Missouri’s Husted did not respond to emails from the Southeast Missourian.

In registering with the state, Show Me Success Missouri listed its purpose as engaging in “activities to benefit the social welfare and advancement in the state of Missouri.”

According to online records, Husted is an accounting associate with HenryAlan LLC.

HenryAlan is a political consulting firm that provides financial expertise to candidates and campaigns.

In a news release issued last year, Axiom Strategies, which touts itself as the largest Republican political consulting firm in the nation, reported it had acquired HenryAlan.

Rehder said Axiom Strategies is her political consultant and has assisted her with past campaigns.

But she said many GOP candidates use Axiom Strategies and her past involvement with Axiom in no way connects her to the pop-up ads being run against Swan.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” she said of the ads.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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