Talk about a suite deal….
She was there for opening night with Elton John. She was there for at least two Garth Brooks concerts. She was there for the Big 12 Basketball Tournament. And she, or her friends and family, have been there several other times. Where exactly does Kay Barnes go to watch events at the Sprint Center? Why in her own seats in a local law firm suite, that’s where. We won’t disclose which law firm she receives the tickets from but it is the firm where she has a very close relationship to some of the senior partners.
The word is that Kay Barnes has purchased three seats from the law firm and usually asks for and is given a fourth seat. This “arrangement” begs several questions.
How much does she pay for these seats? A suite at the Sprint Center is worth at least a million dollars over a ten year contract. In twelve-seat suites that makes each seat worth over $8300 per year. But Barnes is only paying “face value” for each ticket, a number significantly less than that. The suite tickets we have seen show a value usually around $125. At that rate Barnes would have to attend 66 events to pay for the actual value of the seat. As a congressional candidate, Barnes is violating ethics law by creating this arrangement. Anything she is paying below the actual cost to the suite owner should have been shown as an in-kind contribution or as a gift to her personally. Neither did she claim on her Personal Financial Disclosure Forms.
This also makes The Source wonder how she could make the “average northwest Missourian” claims she has made in recent debates. Yes, she may now only have one car (she sold the Lexus she used to own, probably just so she could say she had a ten year old car), but she has these suite tickets at the Sprint Center and has season tickets to the Chiefs. How many Clay, Platte and Jackson county residents can say that?
This is very interesting.
Posted by: WOW | November 02, 2008 at 08:30 PM
I guess what 'The Source' is trying to say is that Senator Kit Bond has been violating disclosure laws by not claiming the costs of the suite owner when he attends KC Chief football games in the owner's box and MU football games with tickets provided by the University. The University's actual costs would include the salary of the entire athletic department and costs of any scholarships provided to athletes.
Do you hear how stupid this sounds?
Posted by: Bill | November 03, 2008 at 09:47 AM
I wonder why The Source wouldn’t put their John Hancock to such an in-depth, hard hitting, fact breaking news story such as this one?
I wonder why The Source wouldn’t print the name of the law firm that is supplying the tickets?
I wonder why The Source didn’t give the name of the hand picked “clerk” and more details on the unlawful actions of said unnamed clerk?
I wonder why I can’t believe the story?
Posted by: Geoff | November 03, 2008 at 10:38 AM