The Missouri Highway Patrol has admitted that it released to the federal government lists of all 163,000 Missourians who have permits to carry concealed weapons.
Speaking to the Senate Appropriations Committee today, Col. Ron Replogle says the list was sent twice but investigators in the Social Security Administration claim they were never able to access the information.
“In our opinion, it was a criminal investigation,” he told the committee, noting that law enforcement agencies often share information.
But Sen. Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, said there are serious concerns with the release and it may have violated state law.
“Under Missouri law, that is private information,” he said. “The shear fact that just by unluckiness the feds couldn’t read the information, that makes the situation no better.”
Replogle said the Social Security wanted the information for an investigation into disability fraud related to mental illness claims. The list was to be compared to a Social Security list of recipients to see whether anyone who had met the mental health qualifications for a concealed carry permit had also claimed to qualify for Social Security for reasons related to mental illness.
The reveal of the release of information to the federal government has come weeks after lawmakers first began questioning the Department of Revenue’s new drivers’ license system, which went into effect before the lists were released.
The department has repeatedly denied in hearings at the Capitol that private information has been shared with the federal government.
During a hearing late Wednesday night and after hours of questions, Revenue officials admitted that they had sent two copies to Highway Patrol but they didn’t know the purpose.
Schaefer chided all of the agencies for not coming forward with information on the release, despite the ongoing publicity over the investigation into the drivers’ licenses.
Department of Public Safety deputy director Andrea Spillars said that the department considered it a separate issue because the information was being used for law enforcement purposes. She said the department believes it had the legal authority to do so.
“There was no attempt whatsoever to conceal information,” she told the committee.
Still, Replogle said he doesn't believe the information should have been released, under department policy, and that he would not have used such an investigation technique.
Schaefer said it has taken weeks to get to the admission. The hearing is expected to continue this afternoon. During a news conference after the first half, Schaefer said there could be questions of competence in state agencies and concealing the truth.
The agencies involved fall under the purview of Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat.
Last week, Nixon denied that the state has been sharing private information with the federal government. Officials told the committee today that Nixon had not been briefed on the situation.
