Back on Track PAC, active in SPS board race, returns $25K gift from Cook Family Foundation
The Back on Track America PAC, which has been active in the Springfield school board race, has returned a $25,000 donation from the Cook Family Foundation.
The political action committee reported the return as part of a delayed campaign disclosure form filed Feb. 26 with the Missouri Ethics Committee. The deadline was Feb. 22.
It had been the largest single gift recorded by the PAC.
Three days later, in a separate report, the PAC reported four donations — totaling $25,000 — from members of the Cook family.
The private foundation based in Ozark was organized as a 501(c)(3), which is strictly prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
According to the Internal Revenue Service, contributions to political campaign funds or public statements of position, verbal or written, violate the prohibition against political campaign activity.
Any violation of this prohibition may result in denial or revocation of tax-exempt status, according to the IRS.
The donation was made Dec. 12 and returned two months later. It does not appear any of the funds were spent.
The foundation was created in 2018 by members of the family connected to the Loren Cook Company, which was founded in 1941. The company opened a manufacturing plant in Springfield in 1964. The president is Loren Cook II and the senior vice president is Paula Cook Daugherty.
In 2017, the company hosted a Springfield visit by U.S. President Donald Trump, who was in office at the time.
The foundation's 2022 report, filed with the IRS, listed Gerald Cook as the president, Kay Cook as the vice president, Paula Cook Daugherty as the secretary and treasurer, and Loren Cook II, Chip Cook, Elaine Cook and Jerry Daugherty as board members.
At the time, the foundation had $3.4 million on hand and paid out $789,722 that year. The largest gifts were $300,000 to Camp Barnabas and $200,000 to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri.
Other notable gifts were to the Child Advocacy Center, Greene County Sheriff Jim Arnott's Distinguished Posse, Christian County Sheriff's Department, Honor Flight of the Ozarks, and Wreaths for Fallen Heroes.
The campaign disclosure report filed Feb. 26 by Back on Track America PAC showed $10,770 in new contributions including a $10,000 loan from leader Dianne Ely, a self-employed beauty consultant, to be repaid after the April 2 election.
The other financial gifts listed were $500 from Gregg and Kai Stancer, of Ozark; and $150 from Richard Grills.
More: Campaign fundraising by SPS school board candidates tops $205K, with 5 weeks still to go
Any gift of $5,000 or more must be reported promptly and the PAC reported four sizable donations from members of the Cook family on Feb. 29. They include:
$6,250 − Paula Cook Daugherty, of Ozark;
$6,250 − Gerald and Kay Cook, of Ozark;
$6,250 − Gerald "Chip" Cook Jr. of Springfield;
$6,250 − Loren Cook II, of Springfield.
The PAC has endorsed three Springfield school board candidates on the April 2 ballot: candidates Chad Rollins and Landon McCarter and incumbent Maryam Mohammadkhani.
Most of the recent spending by the PAC was for social media, web hosting, video meetings, email lists, and the printing of flyers and the voter guide.
The PAC reported it has spent $379 on behalf of Rollins, McCarter and Mohammadkhani.
The other candidates on the ballot include incumbents Danielle Kincaid and Scott Crise and first-time candidates Susan Provance and Kyler Sherman-Wilkins.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Back on Track PAC returns $25K donation from Cook Family Foundation
