This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Oct. 12, 2012 - U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. was in California on Thursday raising money to keep her trio of new attack ads on the air, while Republican U.S. Senate nominee Todd Akin went up on TV with a new attack ad of his own.
Both camps also are focusing heavily on women, with McCaskill's allies holding a rally Thursday in Kiener Plaza to criticize Akin’s August remarks about “legitimate rape” and contraception.
Meanwhile, Akin has announced that Janet Huckabee, wife of former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, will be campaigning with Akin around the state next week for a series of events entitled “Missouri Women Standing with Todd Akin.” The first is a luncheon Monday in St. Louis County.
Thursday’s rally in Kiener Plaza featured dozens of people, some with groups supporting McCaskill and blasting Akin, including the political arm of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region. Some other groups, including the Coalition of Labor Union Women, said they were participating on behalf of the reproductive rights issue, and not on any particular candidate.
However, several of the signs were clearly aimed at Akin.
State Rep, Stacey Newman, D-Richmond Heights, was among the speakers, telling the audience that “I work in the land where the War on Women is rampant.”
Akin’s ad targets the $39 million in federal low-income subsidies that went to firms with ties to McCaskill’s husband, Joseph Shepard. But it’s unclear how much money Akin has on hand to give the ad high visibility around the state.
McCaskill's campaign says it has raised millions of dollars in the last six weeks, and she’s spending it on a substantial ad campaign that currently features three rape survivors who all attack Akin over his comments about “legitimate rape” and his opposition to emergency contraception, which prevents pregnancy after unprotected sex.
She was in California on Wednesday and Thursday to raise money at various events around the Golden State, including stops in San Francisco and San Diego, the campaign confirmed.
Federal details on subsidy contracts
McCaskill’s campaign also is seeking to counter the GOP ad alleging that her family “got rich” from government contracts. Her husband’s investments include a share of hundreds of housing complexes that include subsidized housing; the family says Joseph Shepard’s profit on the projects – listed in her financial disclosure reports as ranging up to $2.6 million – is primarily from the non-subsidized units in the same buildings.
Most of the $39 million in low-income subsidies came from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rental Assistance Program. A spokesman issued a statement late Thursday saying that the program “has been in existence since 1978 and through its funding, makes decent, safe and sanitary apartments affordable to rural Americans with annual incomes averaging under $10,000. USDA has controls in place to ensure that rents are reasonable, and that the appropriate rental assistance funds are paid.”
The statement added, “In accordance with departmental payment processing requirements, the funds are deposited to the property's operating account, and are generally used to help pay for project operating expenses such as utilities, insurance, and property maintenance. Borrowers who participate in the Rental Assistance Program are subject to limits on the amount of funds that an owner can use for non-property purposes … .Limited-profit applicants are permitted a return not to exceed 8 percent on their initial required investment.
“The Rental Assistance Program is subject to regular audits by the department's inspector general and regular review by Government Accountability Office,” the statement said.
(Update) But Friday, Akin's camp disputed McCaskill's contention that much of her husband's profit came from the non-subsidized units in the same building.
Akin's campaign offered details about two apartment buildings:
Heritage Manor Apartments in Park Hills, MO : "McCaskill’s personal financial disclosure lists $201-$1,000 in income from Heritage Manor LP in Flat River, Mo. This company has received more than $182,000 in federal subsidies since 2008. According to the USDA’s “rental property information” website, the complex consists of 12 units, and all 12 are subsidized."
Putney First LP in Putney, VT : "McCaskill’s personal financial disclosure lists $50,000-$100,000 in income from Putney First, LP. This company has received more than $668,000 in federal subsidies since 2008. According to the USDA’s “rental property information” website, Putney Meadows Apts (which is associated with Putney First LP) consists of 28 units, and all 28 are subsidized." (End of update)
