By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – A state audit released today finds that the owners of the Edward Jones Dome failed to report free food and beverages given to some elected officials during St. Louis Rams football games.
The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority receives 42 tickets to each Rams home game every season, along with the use of a luxury box. Those who use them are supposed to pay for food and drinks served in the box.
But State Auditor Susan Montee says some politicians who went to the games got to eat and drink for free.
"If they aren't charged, then it needed to have been on a lobbyist report...they also weren't turning in anything, plus maybe the cost of the ticket should be included as well," Montee said.
Brian McMurtry, Executive Director of the Sports Authority, says they now make sure that the appropriate persons are charged for food and beverages in their suite at Rams games.
"A number of the issues (in the audit) have already been addressed, i.e., disposal of asset policy, reporting government guests to the Missouri Ethics Commission...we now do that through our lobbyist," McMurtry said.
The audit report does not name any of the politicians who ate and drank for free in the Sports Authority's luxury box. But Montee confirmed that they included then-Governor Elect Jay Nixon at a 2008 game.