By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
A late ethics complaint has been filed against the Republican running for 9th District state representative by his opponent.
Democrat Karen Planalp questions campaign contributions Republican Dean VanSchoiack has received from executives of the Herzog Contracting Corporation of St. Joseph.
“In that complaint, I had concerns that a local corporation that is a government contactor had donated, the exact amount is $10,000, to Mr. VanSchoiack’s campaign,” Planalp stated during the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce candidate forum conducted via Zoom.
VanSchoiack called the allegation raised by Planalp “dirty politics.”
VanSchoiack says he made no deal with Herzog.
“Nothing was promised,” VanSchoiack stated. “Nothing was done at the corporate level. It was all individual donations.”
The Missouri Ethics Commission will not review complaints filed this late in a political campaign, but could take up the issue afterward.
Planalp also resurrected accusations leveled against VanSchoiack by Tina Goodrick in the Republican primary, that VanSchoiack gave up his appraiser’s license after a dispute with the state and that he lost a 1993 lawsuit with a neighbor in a dispute over a tract of land.
“And so, this is a habit, a pattern rather, so that was my concern,” Planalp said.
VanSchoiack flatly denied the accusations.
“There’s no pattern,” VanSchoiack countered. “I haven’t been against the law or done anything illegal. I think this is a stupid thing to bring up and it didn’t get my opponent anywhere in the primary and it’s not going to get you anywhere here in the general, Karen.”
VanSchoiack and Planalp are running for an open seat. State Rep. Shelia Solon cannot run for re-election due to term limits.