Blunt Donor Gets Fee Office Contract

Blunt donor gets fee office contract

The downtown Kansas City vehicle license office will continue in the same location, but under management of a Richmond businessman who contributed to the governor after the election.

The Blunt administration announced Wednesday that John Letzig, 52, will operate what traditionally has been one of a handful of state-run license offices.

Letzig donated $5,200 to the Missouri Republican Party on Jan. 12 through the Letzig Seed Co., records show, and $1,200 to Gov. Matt Blunt's political committee on Jan. 5. Campaign finance records show that another individual and a land management corporation with ties to Letzig contributed $2,400 to Blunt's committee also on Jan. 5.

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Blunt has said he is converting those offices to privately run agencies to save money. Members of both parties have criticized the fee offices as part of an old-fashioned patronage system set up, in part, to funnel political donations to governors.

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