Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s former staffer, who was also later identified as an adviser to him, was found to have been paid $2.2 million from the congressman’s campaign funds.
Cleaver’s ex-staffer, Phil Scaglia, made millions of dollars for himself from Cleaver for Congress, the Missouri congressman’s campaign committee, between 2004 and 2016.
Scaglia also worked as a chief of staff for former Dem Rep. Karen McCarthy (D., Mo.) from 2000 to 2003. According to the Missouri secretary of state records, Scaglia incorporated Powerful Performance Solutions Inc. in July 2013.
Scaglia then began receiving payments to his firm from Rep. Cleaver’s campaign committee for his work in the election cycle back in 2004. The firm was paid $142,506 throughout the cycle by Rep. Cleaver’s campaign.
Then, Cleaver’s office paid Scaglia $98,000 in 2006. According to records at the Center for Responsive Politics, his firm, Powerful Performance Solutions Inc. was paid an additional $139,631 by Cleaver’s campaign committee during the 2006 election cycle.
In 2007, Scaglia’s pay increased to $101,000 in Cleaver’s congressional office. According to figures from Legistorm, Scaglia pulled in $12,000 in salary and “other compensation” for a single day of work, in early 2008. He then left Cleaver’s office on January 02.
Powerful Performance was paid $333,783 by Cleaver’s campaign committee during the 2008 and 2010 cycles. Later in 2012, payments to Scaglia’s firm increased significantly to $728,626. Even though Scaglia had left Cleaver’s office years earlier, he was identified as an adviser to the congressman in 2013, by the Kansas City Star.
With the exception of just one election cycle, Powerful Performance Solutions Inc. was identified as the highest paid vendor by Cleaver’s campaign. After a thorough search of disbursements data on the Federal Election Commission’s website, Scaglia’s firm has only received payments from Cleaver for Congress.
Apart from owning Powerful Performance Solutions, Scaglia also owned a state-level lobbying company while working for Cleaver’s office in Missouri.
Cleaver’s office did not respond to requests for a comment on whether Scaglia was still working as an adviser to the congressman.