The Women Who Know Chris Koster Best

"Usually a candidate’s family, friends, and staff are their most ardent supporters, volunteering time and resources to help win the election. But the opposite seems true for Chris Koster. In recent weeks, it’s become apparent that the women who know Chris Koster best, both personally and professionally, are not only not supporting his bid for Attorney General, but they are questioning his motivations, ethics, and ability to both follow and apply the law. In fact, they are so certain that Koster cannot be trusted to serve as Missouri’s chief law enforcement officer, that they are putting their own credibility–and finances–on the line to make sure voters know the truth.

1) Koster’s former campaign manager, Susan McNay, was so distraught over Koster’s money laundering and potentially illegal activities that she resigned from her position and detailed the activities to officials. McNay said, "I trusted the candidate, even though I had questions about whether we were doing something that was not right," McNay said. "He assured me everything was fine, and now I have concerns that we broke the law." (Associated Press, July 7, 2008) 2)

2. Sharing those concerns is Rebecca Bowman Nassikas, who was married to Koster from 1996 to 2003. Last week she donated nearly $200,000 to a political committee that created a Web site and television ads that raise concerns over Koster’s potentially illegal campaign fundraising methods-methods that have been the focus of ethics complaints filed by both Republicans and Democrats. “I hope this gets people to look into (the allegations),” Nassikas said. “They might still decide to vote for Chris. But this will be a way to make it more fair.” (Kansas City Stat, July 31, 2008)3)

3. Shellie Rebman, who served as Assistant Cass County Prosecutor from 1995-1997 under Koster, is speaking out about his management of the office and inability to apply the law fairly. Rebman said, “… Chris Koster was rarely in the office…and when he was in the office, he spent his time discussing his political career…the only criminal charges that Chris Koster became involved in were those that could have a political impact on his political ambitions. During discussions concerning charging decisions in high-profile criminal cases, I never heard the words ‘justice’ or ‘victim impact’ come from Chris Koster, rather he was concerned with potential backlash and how his decision would impact his political career. I truly believe that his only interest while serving as the Cass County Prosecutor was how the position could further his personal political career. In fact, this is why I finally left a job that I truly loved, the frustration of working for a Prosecutor who was not interested in justice or doing the right thing was just too frustrating for me.”

Source: Barbara Shelly is a member of the Editorial Board. She can be reached at 816-234-4594 or at bshelly@kcstar.com. She blogs at voices.kansascity.com

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In a nutshell: Chris Koster is unfit to be our next Attorney General. We don't want a man who has a lot of baggage to be our Chief Law Enforcement Officer. It will be a disaster. The man has been rejected by even women who were closest to him.

Missouri Taxpayers for Sen. Gibbons as the next Attorney General.