By Max McCoy

Globe Investigative Writer

You may not be familiar with the name, but Joplin accountant Nick Myers is an emerging player in Republican Party politics.

Myers is the GOP chairman for Newton County and is treasurer of the Nodler Leadership Political Action Committee, named for state Sen. Gary Nodler, R-Joplin. The PAC pumped more than $100,000 to Republican candidates and political committees during the 2004 general election. Myers made the recommendations about which candidates and committees should receive money, said William Gipson, chairman of the PAC's disbursement committee and chief executive officer of Empire District Electric Co.

Myers also is the contract agent for the Joplin license office, a political appointment by Gov. Matt Blunt, a Republican.

Privately run

On May 5 of last year, the Missouri Department of Revenue announced it would turn over operation of the state's 11 state-run branch license offices to contract agents, and listed Myers as the agent for Joplin.

On May 10, Myers registered a limited liability company known as Jehu with the Missouri secretary of state's office. The purpose of the company, according to the filing documents, is "contracting to provide services to the public of various types." Operation of the company is vested in "one or more managers," but those managers are not named in the documents.

Articles of organization are the only document that limited liability companies are required to file. No annual reports are required.

Since 2002, Myers has contributed at least $4,850 to Missourians for Matt Blunt, according to reports on file with the Missouri Ethics Commission. The Nodler Leadership PAC gave $3,600 to the campaign.

Myers did not respond to a telephone message left by the Globe seeking information about Jehu LLC. He did give an earlier interview about the Nodler Leadership PAC and other issues.

What it's worth

The amount collected by contract agents is set by statute, said Missouri Department of Revenue spokeswoman Maura Browning. The fees range from $2.50 to $5 per transaction, and most Missourians are familiar with the offices from obtaining car tags or renewing their driver licenses. The contract agent's expenses in running the office come from those fees, Browning said.

The Joplin office handled 178,522 transactions last year, she said.

Missouri has 183 privately run fee offices. Contracts for the offices have long been considered political favors that often change hands with changes in the political affiliation of the governor's office, but the privatization last year of the 11 remaining state-run offices, most of which were in metropolitan areas, created a political dust-up.

It recently has been reported by The Associated Press and newspapers across the state that the FBI is investigating the awarding of contracts for Missouri fee offices. Jane Duke, a lawyer in the office of U.S. Attorney Bud Cummings for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the office that reportedly is handling the investigation, said she could not comment on whether an investigation was under way.

There is no indication that Myers or the awarding of the Joplin fee office contract are connected with the reported FBI probe. The focus of investigation, according to The Associated Press, are limited liability companies set up as management firms by an attorney with the Kansas City law firm of Lathrop & Gage.

The other fee offices in Jasper and Newton counties, which have long been privatized, are in Carthage, Neosho and Sarcoxie. The agent for Carthage is John Putnam, the Jasper County GOP chairman. That office handles a volume of 64,350 transactions annually. The Neosho office is run by David Jerome and has a volume of 71,236. The Sarcoxie office is run by William Horrell, with a volume of 9,762.

Other ties

Myers' wife, Victoria, is a deputy treasurer of the 32nd Senatorial District Republican Committee and the 129th Legislative District Republican Committee, political committees for Joplin legislative districts.

Nick Myers also is treasurer of the recently formed campaign committee for Sandra Thomas, a Republican hopeful to succeed Democrat Claire McCaskill as state auditor. Thomas, of Kansas City, is auditor of Platte County. According to the latest campaign disclosure report on file with the Missouri Ethics Commission, her committee had $182,625 in cash on hand.

Four other Republicans are vying for state auditor in the August 2006 primary, and two of those reported in April having more campaign money than Thomas. State Rep. Jack Jackson, of Wildwood, listed $661,241 in cash on hand, while state Sen. John Loudon, of Chesterfield, listed $229,929. Another GOP hopeful, state Rep. Mark Wright, of Springfield, reported $83,429. Al Hanson, of Concordia, filed a statement of exemption with the Ethics Commission, meaning he intends to neither receive nor spend more than $500 in the race.

Democratic candidate Susan Montee, of St. Joseph, reported $624,721 in her campaign war chest. Montee is an accountant and attorney, and for the past five years has served as Buchanan County auditor. Darrell Wattenbarger, of Columbia, also is running as a Democrat.

McCaskill is challenging Republican Jim Talent for the U.S. Senate.