26-04-2025
Frank White recall supporters owe $150K to local polling firm
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A local group owes money to a polling firm that's collected signatures to try to get Jackson County, Missouri Democratic Executive Frank White recalled.
The group is called Democracy in Action. Its Executive Director spoke to .
Bridgette Williams is the Executive Director of the Heavy Constructors Association. She's the sister-in-law of Guy Howard, the Executive Director of Democracy in Action.
ICE detains mother at citizenship appointment in Kansas City, family says
Friday, County Executive Frank White wouldn't comment on this issue. Williams said Democracy in Action owed the polling firm co/efficient about $150,000 to get the signatures released from them, so they can send them in to the Kansas City and Jackson County Election Boards.
'Democracy in Action's trying to raise the money,' Williams said.
'There are many people out there that would normally contribute that are afraid of retaliation from the County Executive if it becomes known that they've contributed.'
Friday, Williams said the same thing Howard told FOX4 in December. They were not going to disclose who their donors are because they don't have to as a 501(c)(4).
'They are gun-shy,' Williams said of the donors.
'There are things that happened with the Mayor's 501 (c)4 where contributors were released, and so there is a fear. We are not that kind of organization.'
Williams was talking about the Mayor's Corps of Progress for a Greater Kansas City. It faced scrutiny at the end of 2024 and at the beginning of this year when it became public that Mayor Quinton Lucas used money in that entity to pay for his trips to the Super Bowl.
In March, White said the recall effort had to do with the fact that he was on the 'vote no' side when it came to the stadium election in April of 2024. Williams' entity, on the other hand, was on the 'vote yes' side.
'I'm not going to deny those stadiums will put people to work and will continue to keep people working,' Williams said.
'And will benefit the Heavies,' FOX4 interjected.
'And will benefit the construction industry as a whole,' she followed up.
'However, Frank White has proven that he does not care about what these increases in property taxes will do to the citizens.'
Wednesday, Republican Legislator Sean Smith told FOX4 that once Democracy in Action sends in those signatures, they'll have more than the 42,900 number needed to get closer to a recall election. That day, Smith also said Democracy in Action had collected about 29,000 signatures. There's no word when the group will get the money necessary to release the signatures.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
