Mike Carter, the St. Charles real estate lawyer who’s a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, announced this afternoon that he has “established a legal team” to respond to allegations that he may have broken state law with his pledge to give “meaningful purpose” to the post — or take less money.

Carter said in an interview today (Wednesday) that he didn’t know who had spurred the Associated Press to look into the matter.

 ”It is interesting to think that an AP reporter was monitoring the websites of down-ballot campaigns and thought to look into the possibility of obscure laws that have never been applied; however, we have assessed the matter and, while we feel certain no violation has occurred, we would cooperate fully with any regulatory authority suggesting otherwise,” Carter said in a statement.

Carter also complained because the AP had sent its story over the wire without his comments; he says he called the reporter within an hour of being contacted.

His statement adds: “Carter stands by his pledge to analyze and critique the office of Missouri’s Lt. Governor and in the event it cannot be given meaningful purpose - justifying the salary received - give no less than $10,000.00 dollars to the state treasury or charity.

“At the heart of Carter’s pledge is the analysis of the Lt. Governor’s office and its understood part-time nature. The current Lt. Governor commented in 2004 about this during his campaign and the Late Senator Tom Eagleton held the post and commented that the biggest part of his day while Missouri’s Lt. Governor was watching the Missouri River flow by his office window,” Carter’s statement said.

He maintains that any state law banning his pledge is unconstitutional. “Political speech is afforded the highest Constitutional protection and when a core political issue of a campaign cannot be discussed in an unfettered way, it directly impinges our First Amendment protections,” said Carter.

In any event, Carter said he welcomed the press attention, adding that the controversy signaled that some Democrats viewed him as a serious candidate. Four Democrats have filed. The state party has made clear it favors state Rep. Sam Page, D-Creve Coeur.

Besides his law practice, Carter said he is a “senior lecturer for the University of Missouri at St. Louis…He has worked for the United States Senate, Missouri’s Western District Court of Appeals, Missouri’s attorney general, and for UPS as a package driver. …”

Carter says he ”is a distant relative of past Missouri Governor, Mel Carnahan…”