Jet-setting Gov. Greitens to voters: My finances are none of your business

It is a little unusual for a top staff member of the governor to publicly criticize the county executive of the state’s most populous county, but that’s what happened last week.

Will Scharf, the policy director for Gov. Eric Greitens, wrote in a tweet that St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger “is the definition of a corrupt, career politician.”

Scharf was responding to a column I wrote on Stenger’s penchant for taking official action — or, in this case, not taking official action — that appears connected to the existence or non-existence of campaign donations. He says his tweet was solely his opinion.

This is the thing about corruption and ethics when it comes to campaign finance issues in politics: It’s always the other guy. Whether it is a Democrat criticizing a fellow Democrat, as Stenger did when he ran against former County Executive Charlie Dooley, or a Republican criticizing a Democrat, politicians are quick to cry corruption but turn a blind eye when the same charge might stick to them.

Read more: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-jet-setting-gov-greitens-to-voters-my-finances-are/article_f5fa660c-1ba0-522a-84e7-8b48ab65b1aa.html