REX SINQUEFIELD EMERGES IN PUSH AGAINST STATE TAKEOVER OF ST. LOUIS POLICE
BY: Jacob Kirn, Managing Editor, St. Louis Business Journal
Lobbyists representing conservative philanthropist and activist Rex Sinquefield are making a push against a state takeover of the city of St. Louis' police department, giving St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones a powerful ally in efforts to defeat the proposal in the final weeks of Missouri's legislative session.
People familiar with the matter say the lobbyists represent Missouri Future LLC, a Sinquefield entity set up after he broke with his prior lobbying firm, Pelopidas, in 2020. They've been explaining Sinquefield's position to state lawmakers including, most recently, state senators. Missouri Future's roster of 10 lobbyists had included Kate Casas, David Jackson and Rodney Boyd. But on Monday it hired seven more, state records say: Alex Thomas Eaton, Rebecca Lohmann, Daniel Pfeifer, Greg Porter, Jasmine Wells, David Willis and Jeff Smith.
Smith, a former state senator, said in a text message that he had been hired to work on the police issue. He didn't respond to further questions.
A person familiar with Sinquefield's operations said his lobbyists, who primarily focus on education, taxes and criminal justice reform, have worked against state control for the entire legislative session, and added the newest lobbyists were brought on because the final weeks of a legislative session can become chaotic. The session concludes at the end of May. The House has passed a bill enabling a state takeover of city police; the Senate is expected to debate it next week, as it also weighs stripping city prosecutor Kim Gardner's ability to handle violent crimes and is pressured to combine the circuits of Gardner and St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell.
Sinquefield's position shouldn't be surprising, the person said, because he provided substantial support to a campaign for the 2012 proposition that gave the St. Louis mayor control of the department, as it had long been under a state board. Reports from the time said Sinquefield, who lives in the Central West End and made his fortune pioneering index funds, put $2 million into the campaign.
A Sinquefield spokesperson declined to comment.
Jones has pushed back against a state takeover, turning to national interviews to portray it as an attack on a Black woman leader. Asked about Sinquefield's support, a Jones spokesman declined to comment.
Two local police unions support a state takeover, and the largest, the St. Louis Police Officers Association, has two lobbyists: Jane Dueker and Mark Bruns. Lobbyists hired by another entity, Safer St. Louis LLC, which is registered to a PO Box, are also pushing the takeover, according to people familiar with the matter. One of those lobbyists, Richard Aubuchon, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
The issue gained steam last year, when St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann penned a Business Journal essay calling for state lawmakers to consider putting the police department back under a state-appointed board, arguing city crime was spreading to other parts of the region.
That represented a change in position for Ehlmann, who had supported then-St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay in his quest, with Sinquefield, to secure local control in 2012.
Slay said Wednesday he wasn't surprised Sinquefield was fighting against a state takeover. "Under the old system, there was no accountability," Slay said. "Because when there's an issue with the police department or crime, nobody goes to the state, the governor or state legislature, and asks what they're going to do to address crime in the city."
He also said some state-board members, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, were involved in scandals, including sexual harassment and interfering with criminal investigations to squash evidence to protect friends or family members.
But Slay also acknowledged that the number of city police officers has fallen since he left office in 2017. In January 2021, before Jones took office, the police department reported that it had 1,198 commissioned employees, off from an authorized strength of 1,348. As of April 17, the department said it had 961 commissioned employees, off from an authorized strength of 1,223. Jones in 2021 looked to cut vacant police positions and move money into social programs. The city says the police department will have a $210 million budget in fiscal 2023, up from $207 million in fiscal 2022.
"Having hundreds fewer officers is certainly a major challenge for the city because we need more cops," Slay said. A Jones ally, Aldermanic President Megan Green, said Tuesday that she and the mayor would look to take tasks away from police, as leadership looks to move away from an "arrest and incarcerate" model and address "problems upstream, before desperation gives way to violence."