Mo. Ethics Commission fines Freedom Inc. leaders

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Missouri Ethics Commission has fined three former leaders of a Kansas City political club.

The commission fined Velda Cook, former secretary of Freedom Inc., about $3,000 for allegedly taking club money. Freedom's former president, Craig Bland, was fined about $3,000 for signing checks he wasn't authorized to sign. Former treasurer Carl Evans was fined $556 for failing to keep accurate records.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/GCMWJo ) documents released Monday show the probe focused on 14 payments in 2008 and 2009 totaling about $7,000 from Freedom's political fund, "some of which respondent Cook converted into personal use."

The three former leaders couldn't be reached for comment. Cook, however, signed documents acknowledging probable cause.

Freedom Inc. was founded 50 years ago to give black voters a bigger voice in politics.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com