Andrew Blunt

Andy Blunt on Election Night, November 2, 2010, in Springfield, Missouri, before his father, Roy Blunt, won his U.S. Senate campaign.

Andrew (Andy) Blunt is a Missouri political consultant and founder of state-based consulting firm Statehouse Strategies LLC. He is the son of Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and the brother of former Missouri Governor Matt Blunt. The Missouri Times named Andy Blunt one of the 100+ people to know in Missouri politics for the previous four years, stating, “If this list was the 5+ [people to know], Andy Blunt would still be on it.” According to the Missouri Ethics Commission, Blunt had 36 clients as of December 2015. Blunt’s extensive client list has been credited by some to his diverse range of experiences and relationships at the Missouri state capital,[1][2] while others allege that his clients are attracted to the influence he has on his father.[3][4]

Early life and education

Born in Springfield, Missouri, Andy moved to Jefferson City with the rest of the Blunt family when his father, Roy Blunt, was elected as Missouri Secretary of State.[1] When Andy was in college, his father Roy Blunt ran for the United States Congress. Andy traveled with his father’s campaign and built a strong interest in politics. Andy finished college a semester early and began to work for Missouri consultant David Barklage. Andy holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Missouri – Columbia. He received a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. Andy and his wife Jill have two children, Benjamin and Allyson.[1]

Professional life

Lawyer and lobbyist

In 2000, Andy Blunt began his career as a political strategist, leading his brother Matt’s successful bid for Secretary of State of Missouri. In 2002, Blunt became a founding partner of law firm Schreimann, Rackers, Francka & Blunt, LLC. In 2014 Blunt was paid $135,000 to represent an unaccredited and bankrupt educational enterprise, the Normandy School District, so as to lobby the Missouri state legislature for a bailout.[5][6][7][8] In 2016 Blunt began Statehouse Strategies LCC, a lobbying firm which focuses on the Missouri General Assembly.[9]

Campaign manager

In 2004 Blunt managed his brother’s successful campaign for Governor in 2004. In 2010 Blunt managed his father’s campaign for U.S. Senate, in which Roy Blunt defeated then-Secretary of State Robin Carnahan by 14 points. In 2010, Blunt managed the United Senate campaign of his father, Roy Blunt. The campaign carried 112 of Missouri’s 114 counties, leading Senator Blunt to a winning margin of 14 percent, the largest midterm win in a Missouri Senate race since 1994. Politico called it one of the Top 10 campaigns in the country in 2010.[10] Andy Blunt is managing his father’s campaign for re-election to the United States Senate in 2016.[11] Opponents have questioned whether Blunt's simultaneous lobbying and campaign management is a conflict of interest, a charge with Blunt denies.[4] For example Senator Blunt has direct influence on the outcome of federally mandated clean-up at Exelon, a firm represented by Andy Blunt.[4] Other potential conflicts of interest could arise with clients the University of Missouri and Missouri Cable Telecommunications.[3][12]

FEC Inquiry

In 2016, the Federal Elections Commission has asked questions pertaining to Blunt's management of two Political Action Committees that contributed to his father's 2016 Senate re-election campaign.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Andy Blunt: Having the Ball During Crunch Time - The Missouri Times".
  2. ↑ "100+ List: Part 1 - The Missouri Times".
  3. 1 2 http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/gateway-to-dc/mizzou-to-pay-a-month-to-andy-blunt-to-lobby/article_70ed603a-8c5f-58d2-854e-4dcc2b994f05.html
  4. 1 2 3 http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/gateway-to-dc/andy-blunt-says-there-is-no-conflict-between-his-lobbying/article_f7145154-559b-5e1a-bd6b-84385ff08f7d.html
  5. ↑ http://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. "APNewsBreak: Troubled Mo. school pays for lobbying".
  6. ↑ http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/lawmakers-question-normandy-school-district-s-hiring-of-lobbyists/article_1441c0d7-1d5b-572b-af88-e5ba4817cb9d.html
  7. ↑ http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/normandy-lobbyist-draws-criticism-support#stream/0
  8. ↑ http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/01/27/troubled-missouri-school-pays-for-lobbying/
  9. ↑ Mannies, Jo. "Sen. Blunt's lobbyist son sets up new firm in Jefferson City".
  10. ↑ "The top campaigns of 2010".
  11. ↑ "Blunt's Campaign Manager to Lobby for Mizzou".
  12. ↑ http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/politics/2015/12/20/andrew-blunts-lobbying-work-faces-scrutiny-he-manages-fathers-re-election-bid/77573306/
  13. ↑ http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/fec-query-on-roy-blunt-campaign-donations-includes-two-donors/article_d71fb826-78e1-51c3-92cb-d3ecf4173091.html
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/27/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.