Wealthy political activist Rex Sinquefield has donated $1 million for Bev Randles to explore running for Missouri lieutenant governor.
Sinquefield donated to the conservative Club for Growth chairwoman the day she announced she'll be testing her chances with an exploratory committee.
The money is the most Sinquefield has given to a single candidate in one chunk since at least 2008.
The donation comes the same day lawmakers discussed changes to Missouri ethics and campaign finance law.
Claims that Attorney General Chris Koster was influenced by lobbyist perks and campaign contributions spurred debate among lawmakers on how to reduce the appearance of conflicts of interest.
But some Missouri political scientists have questioned whether there's enough momentum to pass effective changes in a state some call the "wild west" of campaign finance.
