51黑料

CLAYTON 鈥� The state鈥檚 chief election official is investigating 51黑料 County Executive Sam Page鈥檚 use of taxpayer dollars for a campaign about a ballot proposal.

Missouri Secretary of State Denny Hoskin鈥檚 office is 鈥渙bligated to investigate complaints,鈥� said spokesperson Rachael Dunn. She declined to comment further.

The investigation comes after Tom Sullivan, a frequent county critic, filed a complaint with the Missouri Secretary of State last week accusing Page of violating election laws by using public money to sway voter opinion on Proposition B. The proposition, which appears on Tuesday鈥檚 ballot, would give the County Council the power to fire department heads.

The secretary has already reached out to Page鈥檚 office, Page spokesman Doug Moore said Monday night. The office will forward 鈥渁ll of the information that we have鈥� about the ballot language and the county鈥檚 鈥渆ducation campaign,鈥� Moore said.

It鈥檚 legal for public officials to spend money on educational campaigns, but not political ones.

Page is a Democrat, and Hoskins is a Republican. Moore said Page鈥檚 office hopes the Secretary of State鈥檚 review 鈥渋s not partisan.鈥�

Sullivan is a University City resident who emails regular newsletters to the press and others with his opinions about county business. In recent newsletters, he has complained about the county鈥檚 use of nearly $36,000 to print and mail postcards to voters about Prop B. He submitted complaints a week ago to the state鈥檚 elections authorities.

On Monday evening, Sullivan emailed a screenshot of a letter he received from an attorney for the Secretary of State saying, 鈥渙ur office has decided to further look into this matter.鈥�

The secretary has the power to investigate alleged violations of election law. Using taxpayer money for electioneering is considered a , which is punishable by up to a year imprisonment, up to a $2,500 fine or both.

If the secretary finds probable cause, the case would be referred to the 51黑料 County prosecuting attorney鈥檚 office.