JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Mike Parson held a golf fundraiser in Wisconsin recently to benefit his Uniting Missouri political action committee, a PAC official said on Wednesday.
“We had a golf fundraiser in Wisconsin,” said John Hancock, who is listed as the chairman of the group in state records. He said the governor flew in to Wisconsin Monday and returned to Missouri on Monday night.
The Uniting Missouri PAC reported a $20,000 donation from Perryville-based IGH Aviation on Wednesday. Hancock said he didn’t know who arranged the flight.
He said the $20,000 contribution from the aviation company was an in-kind donation that covered the cost of the trip.
The registered agent for IGH Aviation in state records is Kristal Brickhaus, sister of former House Speaker Steve Tilley, a lobbyist and long-time ally of Parson. Tilley did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Hancock said he expected more large donations over $5,000 from the fundraiser.
Parson has said he won’t run for office again. Asked why the governor was raising so much money, Hancock said Parson didn’t have a campaign fund.
“Every officeholder needs to have some place to have political funds,” Hancock said.
(As of Wednesday, Parson’s campaign committee, Parson for Missouri, was listed as active but raised less than $300 last fundraising quarter.)
Missouri voters capped contributions to candidate campaign committees in 2016, resulting in a proliferation of political action committees that aren’t subject to the limits.
The Uniting Missouri PAC raised $102,000 in the most recent fundraising quarter and spent $237,000, ending the period between April and June with $124,000 on hand.
