Closed Books, Closed Doors

In the final years of the Cold War, when President Ronald Reagan was dealing with the Soviet Union, he frequently invoked a Russian proverb: “Doveryay, no proveryay,” which translates to “trust, but verify.” It was a revolutionary sentiment between two global adversaries, signaling a new era of openness, mutual accountability, and, most importantly, trust.

That principle doesn’t just apply to nuclear treaties. “Trust but verify” is essential to a healthy democracy. Trust in government isn’t automatic; it’s earned through transparency and the public’s ability to confirm that leaders are acting in good faith.

Unfortunately, here in Missouri, our government is heading in the opposite direction. State officials recently removed a public website that revealed the names of private and corporate donors to the MOScholars school funding program. In doing so, they effectively shielded millions of diverted tax dollars from public scrutiny. This withdrawal from openness undermines public trust and raises serious questions about who is influencing our education system.

Let’s back up. The MOScholars program allows individuals and corporations to divert tax payments into a state-run fund that sponsors private schools. For example, if a construction company owes $10,000 in Missouri taxes, it can donate $5,000 of that to MOScholars and pay only the remaining $5,000 to the state. That $5,000 didn’t disappear; it was redirected upstream, before ever hitting the state’s general fund.

This is how tax credits work: the taxpayer decides where part of their taxes go, not the legislature.

There are several problems with this arrangement. First, it drains resources from essential public services like roads, law enforcement, parks, and public schools. Second, there’s little oversight into how the money is distributed or what kind of schools benefit. Are they accredited? Are they teaching science and history that align with state standards? Are they inclusive, or do they discriminate by religion, gender identity, or disability?

And third — the most troubling question of all — is whether some of this money finds its way back to donors through contracts, favors, or ideological alliances. We can’t say because we can’t see. We’ve lost the ability to follow the money.

It wasn’t always this way. Until July 2024, Missourians were provided with a website where they could find out who had donated and how much. But then the Missouri State Treasurer’s Office abruptly shut down the site. The excuse? It was a “clerical error.” As if a clerical error could produce a sophisticated data-driven website by accident. The public-facing website, according to the State Treasurer, was apparently never supposed to exist.

Shielding this information doesn’t protect privacy; it protects power. And when donor influence hides behind a wall of secrecy, it invites corruption, cronyism, and ideological manipulation. All under the label of “school choice.”

It gets worse. A recent audit by the State Auditor found that the Treasurer’s Office mishandled $35 million. It also failed to conduct required audits of the MOScholars program itself. In other words, we’re not just flying blind; we’ve disabled the instruments.

And how did the Missouri Legislature respond? With accountability? Oversight? Reform?

No. They rewarded the program with a $50 million direct appropriation from the general fund. Not tax credits. Not donations. Just cold, hard taxpayer money handed over without scrutiny.

When public money flows into private hands behind closed doors, the people lose more than just dollars. They lose the right to know who’s pulling the strings.

“Doveryay, no proveryay” isn’t a luxury in a democracy; it’s a requirement. Without it, trust collapses and authoritarian power emerges from the shadows.

If Missouri’s leaders want to defend this program, they should do so in the daylight. Show us who’s funding it. Show us who’s benefiting. Show us how much is being diverted from public schools. And show us what’s being taught with our money.

Until then, they haven’t earned our trust.