By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Financing for a new northern Missouri ethanol plant could be jeopardized by a conflict involving Governor Matt Blunt's brother.
The state treasurer's office today gave conditional approval to a $48 million bank deposit that would be used to provide a loan to Show Me Ethanol.
But one of the conditions is that the plant's investors don't have any conflicts of interests. And the program specifically prohibits the incentives from going to elected officials or their siblings.
The governor's brother, Andy Blunt, is an investor in a company called Central Missouri Biofuels, which owns a ten percent share in Show Me Ethanol.
State Treasurer Sarah Steelman says that could disqualify the plant from participating in the state program.