JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State Rep. Tom Burcham pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving related offense and weeks later received thousands of dollars from Republican committees for his legislative re-election bid.

Al Hanson was convicted 24 years ago of fraud-related charges in Minnesota and, partly because of that, has been disavowed by top Republicans in his bid to become Missouri state auditor.

Why the difference?

Republican party leaders say Burcham's conviction stems from an illness while Hanson's did not. They also say Hanson's bid for a statewide office requires a better background.

But the group Mothers Against Drunk Driving says the distinction is sending the wrong message to Missourians.

It's a "double standard" that downplays the severity of alcohol-related crimes, said Michael Boland of St. Charles, president of MADD's St. Louis area chapter and a member of the group's national board of directors.

Debating differences

"A crime is a crime," Boland said Monday. "Who are they to distinguish between the differences of crimes? Who are they to start dictating one crime is more severe?"

Hanson, of Concordia, served nine months in a Minnesota prison after being convicted of two fraud charges involving shady business dealings. He was released in 1979.

Republican committees have given him no money.

Burcham, of Farmington, was arrested in April in Jefferson City on a charge of driving while intoxicated. He pleaded guilty June 12 to an amended charge of driving with excessive blood alcohol content, meaning his level was 0.08 percent or greater. He was fined $499.50 and ordered to pay $164.50 in court costs, according to city court records.

Yet Republicans continued to back Burcham as he easily won the Aug. 6 primary for House District 106. Between the end of July and the end of August, Burcham received more than $9,000 from Republican committees.

Burcham withdrew from the race Monday after again being arrested for driving while intoxicated in Gasconade County on Sept. 10. He said he was checking into an alcohol treatment program, just as he did after the initial arrest.

State Republican Party spokesman Scott Baker said a lawmaker's drunken driving problems are not comparable to Hanson's crimes.

"Your talking about a statewide candidate, not local candidates who went through rehabilitation," Baker said. "These people had physical issues, illnesses if you will. To equate a physical illness with knowingly cheating people is comparing apples and oranges."

Burcham is not the first state lawmaker to receive his party's support after a drunken driving arrest or conviction.

Republicans also continued to support former House Minority Leader Mark Richardson of Poplar Bluff after he pleaded guilty in 1997 to drunken driving and endangering his young child who was riding with him when he was pulled over in Jefferson City.

Although he resigned as his party's House leader, Richardson twice won re-election to the House and this year is the Republican nominee for a vacant circuit judgeship in southeast Missouri.

Likewise, Democrats continued to support Rep. Kate Hollingsworth of Imperial after she pleaded guilty to drunken driving in Jefferson City in 1997. She also won two re-election bids but is not seeking a fourth House term this year.

Democratic House Speaker Bob Griffin, then of Cameron, pleaded guilty in 1993 to driving drunk in his state-furnished car. He remained speaker until he resigned from office in 1996. He later was convicted of bribery and mail fraud.

Mike Kelly, executive director of the state Democratic Party, didn't directly answer the question of why his party previously had supported politicians convicted of drunken driving.

Instead, Kelly noted that none of the lawmakers are on the ballot any longer, concluding their past acts are thus irrelevant while Hanson's past remains an issue.