ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — With five months still to go before St. Louis County voters decide the primary race for county executive, a potentially influential voice in local politics appears to be backing one of the challengers in the race.
Campaign finance records show the political arm of the St. Louis carpenters' union, Carpenters Help in the Political Process (CHIPP), donated $250,000 in February to Change STL PAC.
William Ravensberg is listed as the treasurer of Change STL PAC and confirmed to 5 On Your Side the group is supporting Mark Mantovani in his race against County Executive Sam Page and County Assessor Jake Zimmerman for the county's top office executive office.
"Mark is glad to have the PAC’s support but we don’t know anything about their plans," said Kristine Brill with the Mantovani campaign. By law, campaigns are not allowed to coordinate with Political Action Committees (PACs).
The St. Louis County Council appointed Sam Page as county executive in April of 2019 after former County Executive Steve Stenger resigned and was sent to federal prison for corruption.
Page, the council's former chairman, is running to keep the job. His campaign manager Richard Callow told 5 On Your Side, "A $250,000 contribution to a campaign from any source should come with a full explanation. That's especially true when it benefits a candidate who is carrying a $600,000 debt from his last unsuccessful campaign."
Campaign finance records show "Mantovani for STL" with $608,443.26 in debt.
Brill told 5 On Your Side that is money Mantovani loaned to his previous campaign with no arrangements to pay it back and said it would not affect his current campaign "Mantovani for St. Louis" to which records show Mantovani has contributed $50,000.
The union issued a statement on its website, explaining why it endorsed Mantovani.
"St. Louis County needs an executive with a record of creating jobs for St. Louis," Carpenters' Executive Secretary-Treasurer Al Bond said in the statement. "Mark understands the needs of working families and wants to create opportunities for this generation and future generations."
5 On Your Side has yet to reach County Assessor Zimmerman for comment on the union's donation.
