Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, a Republican running for U.S. Senate in 2022, returned campaign contributions he received from Steven Miltenberger, owner of the controversial video gambling company Torch Electronics, and his spouse, Sondra Miltenberger. Schmitt received two $2,900 checks from the couple in June.
Torch recently has been in court for allegedly operating thousands of illegal slot machines at gas stations statewide. In February, the company sued the state, claiming it was being harassed by the Missouri Highway Patrol, which began seizing the games as part of a crackdown on illegal gambling. The company contends its devices are not illegal.
Schmitt is just one of dozens of Missouri politicians who have received contributions connected to Miltenberger, whose unregulated slot machines have proliferated throughout the state. He has directly donated to Governor Mike Parson and gave Parson’s political action committee $10,000 in 2019. Torch also has donated more than $90,000 to PACs affiliated with former House Speaker and influential lobbyist Steve Tilley, a Parson ally.
In fact, Tilley actively worked against a bill sponsored by Senate President Dave Schatz that would have legalized, regulated and taxed legal video gambling terminals in truck stops and convenience stores. Supporters of the bill said unregulated machines take money away from education and veterans services. Under Schatz’s bill, businesses offering illegal machines would have lost their liquor and lottery licenses and would be banned from participating in any future expansion of legal gambling.
