CAMPAIGN FINANCE LIMITS IN EFFECT

Missouri's campaign finance restrictions on political parties are back in place, the state Ethics Commission said Friday.

The commission's action followed a closed-door discussion by the commissioners, who met via a telephone conference call.

But officials with the Ethics Commission say the agency won't know if the political parties are abiding by the law until July 31 at the earliest. That's when the political parties must file financial disclosure reports dealing with contributions and expenditures for the period of July 1 through July 27. The reports are due eight days before the August primary, said Joe Carroll, director of campaign finance for the Ethics Commission.

Finance reports also are due on July 15. But those reports will cover campaign spending through June 30. It won't show contributions made by the parties to candidates since July 5 at noon.

That's the starting date for which the parties must abide by the funding restrictions. U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry set that date and time in her ruling this week lifting an injunction that prohibited enforcement of campaign finance limits.

Perry, however, enjoined the state from enforcing the law regarding contributions made by the political parties to candidates prior to that time pending an appeal from the Missouri Republican Party.

The Ethics Commission, acting on the advice of the attorney general's office, said any prior contributions made by the parties to candidates count toward the funding limits. But the commission said candidates don't have to give back any cash or in-kind contributions from political parties in excess of the reinstated limits if the donations were made prior to July 5 at noon.

It's unclear just how well the commission will monitor the parties' campaign spending.

Chuck Lamb, the commission's executive director, said the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could issue an injunction barring any enforcement of the campaign finance limits during the appeal process.

Lamb said such an injunction could be in place before the parties file their July 31 reports.

Even without appeals-court action, Lamb said the Ethics Commission doesn't have the authority to initiate an investigation into campaign finance law violations. The commission, he said, responds to formal complaints that are filed with the agency. "However, we do look at the reports as we can, but we have limited resources," said Lamb. "We will audit the reports as best we can."

But he said the agency doesn't have the resources to audit every report that is filed with the commission.

The commissioners held a private discussion with a representative of the attorney general's office Friday afternoon. Lamb cited the Missouri Republican Party's anticipated appeal as justification for the closed session.

"I believe the attorney general's office said it was probably appropriate and the commission agreed," Lamb said shortly after the meeting. "That was probably the prudent thing to do."

Carroll said commission members then went into open session to approve the contribution limits as adjusted for inflation and detailed by the attorney general's office.

The commission's action means party cash donations can range form $2,750 to $11,250 per election depending on the office the candidate is seeking. There are identical limits on in-kind contributions.

No reporters attended the commission meeting. Carroll told reporters prior to the 3 p.m. meeting that he expected the entire meeting to be conducted behind closed doors.

The meeting, which also involved other business in closed session, lasted for more than an hour.