Apparent Reporting Violation by the "Take Back Ladue" Committee

Taking a look back, here is the hottest story of the week. The "Take Back Ladue Schools" Prop 1 committee missed two deadlines to report financial data. This is a major violation, being reviewed by several local and state bodies.

The Ladue-Frontenac Patch has found that 13 days prior to the April 3 election, the “Take Back Ladue Schools” has failed to file financial information required by the St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners.

Committees are required by law to meet pre-designated filing deadlines. Since the “Take Back Ladue Committee” has remained active from 2009, and has maintained a website for two years, they should have completed their first filing, a January 1, 2012 quarterly date. The other filing was required by February 18, 40 days prior to the election on April 3. That deadline too has been missed altogether by the “Take Back Ladue” committee.

Attempts to reach the committee by phone and email have gone unanswered. Failure to properly meet designated filing dates are subject to financial penalties according to officials locally and with the Missouri State Ethics Commission.

The “Commit2Ladue” committee meanwhile has filed all of its information as prescribed by law.

Here is a list of major donors, $150 or more as reported by the February 18 deadline:

Reed School Parents Association, $1,000.
Conway School Parents Association, $1,000.
Old Bonhomme School PTO, $1,000.
Susan Moriconi, $500.
Nicki and Scott Stern, $500.
Dawn Sandweiss, $500.
Don and Elizabeth Cobin, $300
Mike Minkler, $250.
David and Anna Poger, $250.
Linda Peterson, $250.
Carl and Julie Bisig, $250.
Jennifer Hardester, $250.
Brian Kearns, $200.
Barbara Kahn, $150.
Tessa and Eric Treiz, $150.
Ann Parish, $150.

All efforts to find donor information from the “Take Back Ladue Schools” have been unsuccessful so far.