Republican in Missouri auditor’s race calls GOP opponent’s new ad ‘a lie’ | Politics

Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick, who is running towards condition Rep. David Gregory, R-Sunset Hills, in the Aug. 2 key, said Gregory lied about his expertise as an auditor and accountant in a 15-2nd spot Gregory produced this week.

“He need to get the ad down and end lying to Missouri voters,” Fitzpatrick explained to the Submit-Dispatch on Wednesday.

In the advert, Gregory mentioned he’s an “actual auditor” and goes on to claim the “establishment politician” he’s operating in opposition to — Fitzpatrick — is “not even an accountant.”

A research for Gregory in the state’s databases of accredited general public accountants turns up no records. (Missouri’s recent auditor, Democrat Nicole Galloway, who is not operating for reelection, does display up as a licensed CPA in the condition database.)

Gregory’s title also does not show up in a registry of accredited internal auditors managed by the Institute of Interior Auditors.

Questioned what manufactured Gregory an accountant, a campaign formal claimed Gregory earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s of organization administration with an emphasis in accounting.

Asked what manufactured Gregory an auditor, a spokesman for Gregory explained he “worked … as an auditor” for Todd Kohlfeld, associate director at Protiviti, a consulting agency.

“As a Danger Restoration Auditor, he had a good do the job ethic and was a remarkably able expert,” Kohlfeld said, in accordance to a estimate supplied by Gregory’s campaign.

(Fitzpatrick’s campaign explained Gregory was referring to perform he performed at the Protiviti organization he is known as an accountant, not an auditor, in a 2016 report mentioning his work at Protiviti.)

Gregory’s campaign also reported he pointed out $36 million in achievable financial savings to the state in a 2018 report on the Department of Profits, which he described as a “fiscal option audit” at the time.

Fitzpatrick’s marketing campaign reported the report never resulted in discounts to taxpayers, but Gregory’s marketing campaign cited statements by Ken Zellers, the then-director of the Section of Income, who in 2020 praised Gregory for the duration of a Residence Price range Committee hearing for his work with the division.

“The Section of Income did perform with Rep. Gregory to increase processes and minimize prices,” said Chris Moreland, spokesman for Zellers, who is now the commissioner of the Office of Administration.

Gregory also describes himself as an “investigative attorney” on his web-site.

Asked what that meant, Gregory mentioned in a assertion that “My legislation business prides by itself on conducting extensive investigations for our clients. I carry out money investigations for purchasers to uncover fraud and other money misappropriation.”

Fitzpatrick dismissed the explanations from Gregory and his marketing campaign.

“David Gregory is a trial legal professional, not a qualified auditor or CPA. His advert is a lie,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement to the Write-up-Dispatch on Wednesday.

“I have put in my complete occupation constructing the small business I started as a teenager from the ground up, and as state Finances Chairman and State Treasurer, my oversight work has essentially resulted in tens of thousands and thousands of dollars in cost savings for Missouri taxpayers,” Fitzpatrick mentioned.

“Gregory has put in his occupation profiting off lawsuits in opposition to Missouri’s little firms,” Fitzpatrick stated. “Lying about your credentials to gain general public office is straight out of the Biden playbook.”

“Scott Fitzpatrick is clueless about what an auditor is and does, which ought to disqualify an individual operating for auditor. I’m not only an auditor, I have a degree in accounting,” Gregory explained in reaction.

“I worked as an auditor and use those expertise and my accounting qualifications each individual day to enable help save revenue for taxpayers and provide my consumers as an investigative attorney,” he claimed.

“Scott Fitzpatrick is flailing mainly because he has no working experience as an auditor, or even as an accountant, and his bogus assaults present he understands completely practically nothing about what it takes to be an auditor, or even what an auditor is,” Gregory reported.

Fitzpatrick, meanwhile, introduced his initially advertisement final week. In the 30-second location, the present point out treasurer rides all over in a motorboat and catches a largemouth bass. He then fries a breaded filet.

“When I locate political insiders seeking to get extra fat off of your tax pounds, I will not just toss ’em again,” he explained in the advertisement.

Fitzpatrick is the CEO of MariCorp US, a marine producing and building organization primarily based in Shell Knob, Missouri. He and his wife, Mallory, have a few sons, such as a established of twins.

Gregory is outlined as founder and husband or wife of The Personal injury Counsel, a individual harm regulation organization, on the firm’s web site. He lives with his spouse, Paige, in St. Louis County.

Former point out Rep. Alan Green, D-Florissant, is jogging for auditor as a Democrat.

Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. of Clayton is also operating. Hartwig is a CPA.

Originally posted at 12:45 p.m. Wednesday, July 13.