Grow Missouri, the Rex Sinquefield-funded organization, said today it is prepared to spend $2.5 million this fall as elections loom in November.
In a statement, the organization said it would be reporting a new contribution of $2.5 million and that the money would go in "large part" to support Rep. John Diehl's 100 Great Ideas Tour.
However, Aaron Willard, the group's treasurer, said the $2.5 million will be spent on a variety of causes and campaigns this fall, including ballot initiatives and individual candidates.
Diehl, a Town and County Republican who is currently the House majority floor leader, is expected to become the next speaker. A few minutes after a reporter tweeted about Grow Missouri's announcement, Diehl called the reporter to say none of the money would go to his campaign committee.
Diehl's 100 Great Ideas Initiative will include events around the state, though Diehl said he could not imagine how Grow Missouri could spend such a large amount of money on the tour itself.
Willard said Grow Missouri wants to engage at the grassroots level and praised the Great Ideas Initiative. Grow Missouri, in its statement, made similar comments and said it was prepared to provided funding commensurate with its importance. Grow Missouri is also coordinating with other organizations to develop a plan to support the initiative.
Overall, Willard said the group's activity this fall will be similar to what it has previously done, most notably during the summer of 2013, when it worked to promote a veto override of legislation that contained an income tax cut.
"I think this is consistent with the efforts have done in the past," Willard said.
Grow Missouri is funded almost entirely by Sinquefield, a St. Louis philanthropist. According to its latest finance report, as of Aug. 30 the group had approximately $994,000 cash on hand.