REPORT: How Missouri’s Ethics Commission is Broken by Design

Progress MO is proud to release its new report detailing how the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) has been effectively dismantled by long-standing and intentional vacancies. Our findings show dozens of ethics complaints dismissed without investigation due to the MEC’s lack of quorum. 

This isn’t an accident. It’s a deliberate abdication of legal responsibility and it’s left Missourians unaware while political insiders follow their own rules.

The Commission has been effectively sidelined because those in charge failed to fill its seats, even as ethics complaints continue to pile up. Without a functioning commission, 50 complaints have been released with “No Action” in the last two years, which includes 26 complaints filed in 2025 (62%) and 24 complaints in 2024 (25%). In the history of the MEC, only 22 total complaints had “No Action” prior to 2024.

This goes beyond simple administrative neglect. The consequence is a system vulnerable to corruption, where big donors influence decisions and there is no oversight for those in power.

Read the full report to understand the critical impact on Missouri’s ethics enforcement.