Yours in good governance and slightly raised eyebrows,
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| Randy Pogue and Jason Withington at a WWE event in the T-Mobile |
In a twist worthy of Monday Night RAW, social media erupted after Withington thanked several figures—Kansas City City Councilmen Kevin O’Neill, Wes Rogers, as well as personal friend Randy Pogue, and Verimore Bank—for giving him tickets to the WWE event. Outraged keyboard warriors immediately launched investigations from their couches, alleging corruption, undue influence, and—initially—UFC cage fighting. (Edit: Oops, WWE not UFC. Honest mistake from a genuinely curious anonymous citizen-reporter.)
While the rest of the county worries about roads, taxes, and public safety, some residents are more focused on whether the Commissioner’s four kids got in for free or if he maybe, just maybe, OWES HIS ENTIRE POLITICAL CAREER TO THIS HAPPY ROCK.
Now, to be clear, this pontificating lil rock is not accusing anyone of breaking Missouri law—which, to be honest, seems written more in pencil than in stone when it comes to gifts. But when banks and mayors start handing out freebies to county commissioners, it’s almost like there’s an appearance of “access,” or “favoritism,” or “you scratch my back, I’ll get the folding chairs.”
Some of us silly taxpayers would love to know:
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Were these gifts disclosed, or just part of the "friends and family" plan?
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Does Verimore Bank do business with Clay County, or just moonlight as a ticket broker?
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And do regular citizens have to buy their own WWE tickets because we forgot to get elected first?
Again, no accusations—just a little curiosity from the cheap seats. Because when our elected leaders are enjoying the show, it’s only fair we ask: who’s paying for the popcorn, and who’s getting body-slammed behind the scenes? Which begs the question, what is the law?
Missouri Ethics: The $5 Morality Clause & WWE Diplomacy
So, under Missouri law—written and enforced by the ever-vigilant Missouri Ethics Commission (cue polite golf clap)—we have a truly ironclad safeguard: public officials can’t accept gifts from lobbyists worth more than $5. That’s right, five whole dollars. Enough for a lukewarm gas station burrito or a half-dead carnation. But hey, it’s the thought that counts!
Now, gifts from non-lobbyists—like “just regular folks” or, you know, mayors who also work at banks—those are totally fine. Nothing to see here unless those folks also happen to do business with the government or influence policy. But even then, it’s only a potential red flag. After all, what’s a little ethical ambiguity between friends?
🤼♂️ The Main Event: County Commissioner Smackdown
So by his own words, Commissioner Jason Withington received some lovely WWE tickets from:
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Kevin O’Neill and Wes Rogers — Kansas City Councilmembers who just so happen to collaborate with him on public policy and funding issues.
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Randy Pogue, who’s not just the Mayor of Kearney but also a Senior VP at Verimore Bank—a bank that might someday be interested in county contracts. But don’t worry! He’s also a friend, and that totally cancels out any concerns, right? https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-pogue-9865b511/
Withington graciously posted about the freebie bonanza on Facebook and explained it was for his kids. A wholesome family bonding moment, clearly. Nothing says “clean hands” like leading with “My kid got sick, so we had an extra ticket.”
🧩 Tiny Little Things That Might Kinda Sorta Be a Problem
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Randy Pogue is a banker and a mayor? Sounds like a Mad Libs page from an ethics nightmare.
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Verimore Bank gifted tickets to a county commissioner. Not shady at all—unless you count every ethics training PowerPoint ever made.
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No formal disclosure was filed—just a good ol’ Facebook post. Because nothing says “transparent government” like casually sharing ticket info between cat videos and dinner pics.
All three men just so happened to independently think of their good old friend Jason and send him six tickets to the same event? Or was Jason soliciting these tickets from them? Was this really just an uncoordinated coincidence?
Let’s be real: even if this was all harmless fun among political BFFs, to the public it reads more like “WWE Presents: Access Through Favors.”
✅ What Could Possibly Help Clear the Air?
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Disclose the gifts officially, even if it’s not technically required. It’ll look way better than “I made a post, what more do you want?”
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Tell the public if Verimore Bank is doing, or planning to do, business with Clay County.
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Maybe write a gift policy that isn’t just “whatever doesn’t get us indicted.”
Final Round: Perception Is Everything
So lil rock's sense is that this does not technically violate Missouri law and it seems to us that there needs to be an official act made in connection with these tickets. But we're just a dumb rock with no legal education whatsoever and nothing we say needs to be construed as any type of sound legal analysis. However, if the goal is to not look like you’re handing out access like party favors, this definitely misses the mark. At best, it's a PR fumble. At worst, it's exactly the kind of thing that makes voters think their elected officials care more about ringside seats than responsibility. For a guy like Withington, who was elected based on his hard work exposing the corruption of former county commissioners Gene Owens and Luane Ridgeway, this looks bad. Will he be able to come back?
Withington responded to the drama like a seasoned wrestler dropping the mic, calling out the anonymous accusers: “Perhaps you'd like to know how long I've banked there? My account balance? Debit card PIN? Can I interest you in my Netflix password while we're at it?”
Critics say the optics are poor. Supporters say it’s nice that an elected official didn’t leave his kids at home for once. Neutral observers say, “Wait... Clay County has two banks?”
For now, no formal ethics complaint has been filed, but rumors swirl that anonymous Facebook users are drafting a motion to ban all public officials from attending fun ever again.
Stay tuned for next week’s drama, when a City Councilmember is spotted at a Royals game without disclosing whether the hot dog was paid for with personal funds or if mustard was ethically sourced.
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