KMOV channel 4/KTVI Fox 2/SE Missouria/Columbia Tribune/KY3/KSDK 5/KMOX/KTVO3/Springfield News-Leader/KWOC/KFVS12/ Democrat's campaign pledge may violate law By Chris Blank THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Wednesday, Apr. 09 2008 JEFFERSON CITY — A pledge from a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor to donate part of his salary could leave him returning even more money to the state. Michael E. Carter, an attorney from St. Charles, made the pledge on his campaign website. "If the effectively part-time office of Missouri Lt. Governor cannot be given a more meaningful purpose — justifying the salary received — then I will give no less than $10,000.00 back to the state treasury or charity," he wrote. It's against state elections law to promise to take a lower salary or pledge a portion of a public official's paycheck to charity to attract votes. The penalty is one year in jail or a fine of less than $2,500. Carter, 36, said he isn't worried and stands behind the promise. "If it is the case that you can't pledge to look into an office that's overpaid, that's a mistake," he said. Carter said he thinks the state law is unconstitutional because it puts restrictions on political speech by limiting candidates' ability to speak candidly about what they would do while in office. The state has several classes of election offenses. Promising to take a lower salary is grouped with such offenses as giving sample ballots to mislead a voter, destroying a ballot before it's given to a voter and interfering with a voter inside a polling place. None of those types of offenses are deemed connected to the right of suffrage. But some, more serious election law violations are felonies. Carter is one of six Democrats running for lieutenant governor. Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder and two other Republicans also are running. One Libertarian also has joined the race. According to his campaign biography, Carter specializes in real estate and business law. He also lectures on marketing and business at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He has worked as U.S. Senate intern and for the Missouri attorney general and the Missouri Court of Appeals, Western District. On his website, Carter said he supported Ross Perot's presidential bids in 1992 and 1996 but always has been a Democrat. "The apparent Republican ideology of dog eat dog, or fend for yourself, does not set well with him," his website says. Missourians will narrow the lieutenant governor candidates to one from each political party in the primary election on Aug. 5.