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JEFFERSON CITY 鈥� A Republican running for Missouri treasurer is drawing attention for her criticism of an education voucher expansion Gov. Mike Parson signed earlier this year.

Lori Rook, a Springfield attorney running for treasurer, last week that she supports 鈥渆ducational freedom,鈥� but that the new law is 鈥渏ust being packaged as 鈥榝reedom.鈥欌��

The voucher program, first approved in 2021 and expanded this year, provides scholarships for families to use on education expenses, including private school tuition.

The state treasurer administers the program, making Rook鈥檚 criticism all the more notable as she competes against program supporters in the GOP race for treasurer.

Rook said on social media she would not shut down the MOScholars program if elected, saying the treasurer didn鈥檛 have the authority to do so.

But fundraising reports Rook鈥檚 campaign filed Monday also revealed her ties to a group called ArmorVine, which actively lobbied against the voucher expansion this year in the Legislature.

The fundraising reports show Rook鈥檚 campaign paid ArmorVine more than $150,000 total in recent months for consulting services.

On its website, ArmorVine criticizes regulations for homeschools the state treasurer鈥檚 office put in place after Parson, a Republican, signed the initial MOScholars program in 2021.

Homeschools are required to submit curriculum plans or other records, and adults who live at the homeschool must undergo criminal background checks, so that homeschool students may receive scholarships.

鈥淟ike so many other things, giving bureaucrat offices the ability to create rules means imposition of regulations our citizens don鈥檛 want and our elected officials have no voice in creating. This is a MAJOR problem with school choice,鈥� the ArmorVine .

Rook, on social media, also said she paid parochial school tuition and that 鈥渟ince my school accepts the vouchers 鈥� my kids will be subject to DESE (the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) and the Rules.鈥�

The 2021 legislation created Educational Assistance Organizations that accept tax credit-eligible donations and then provide scholarships for students. The vast majority of program participants have attended private religious schools.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no intrusion into the private school,鈥� Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, the sponsor of this year鈥檚 legislation and one of the candidates for treasurer, said earlier this year.

Rook did not respond to a question sent via text message about whether she would alter rules for the MOScholars program if elected.

Asked about Rook鈥檚 criticism of the voucher expansion, and about the money paid to ArmorVine, a spokesman for House Budget Chairman Cody Smith, one of Rook鈥檚 rivals in the race, said Rook 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 care if kids get to go to a school that best fits their needs.鈥�

鈥淩ook is trying to attract a school of thought to bolster her campaign that says kids should be stuck in failing districts to protect the status quo,鈥� Nick Maddux, spokesman for Smith, of Carthage, said in a statement.

Records show Rook made four payments totaling $42,125 to ArmorVine on April 1, for 鈥渃onsulting鈥� services. Her campaign paid an additional $112,500 to ArmorVine on May 21 for consulting, according to the Missouri Ethics Commission.

Rook, in a text message Tuesday, said she has used a variety of services through ArmorVine, 鈥渏ust as other candidates utilize campaign consultants.鈥�

鈥淲e have put together a smart aggressive plan that I hope will educate the people of MO on who the true conservative is in this race. It鈥檚 me,鈥� Rook said.

New fundraising numbersRook is one of six Republicans running for treasurer. In addition to Smith and Koenig, other GOP candidates are Vivek Malek, the current state treasurer; Tina Goodrick of St. Joseph; and Karan Pujji of Berkeley.

Rook reported this week that she had over $263,000 in her campaign account at the end of the June, and that she spent more than $261,000 in the April-to-June fundraising quarter.

She also raised $17,500 during that three-month period, records show.

Smith ended the latest fundraising period with $291,000 on hand after raising almost $36,000 and spending $76,000 in the last quarter.

His Ozark Gateway Leadership PAC had more than $227,000 in the bank heading into the last full month before the primary election.

Koenig, meanwhile, raised another $14,000 for his bid, spent $24,000 and ended the quarter with $104,000 in his campaign account.

His allied Freedom鈥檚 Promise PAC had about $63,000 on hand at the end of the fundraising quarter and didn鈥檛 report any new contributions in the latest filing.

The incumbent, Malek, who was appointed to the post in 2022 by Parson, had nearly $1.4 million heading into the final stretch of the primary campaign, raising more than $207,000 last quarter and spending $133,000.

Malek鈥檚 allied American Promise PAC reported more than $1.5 million on hand heading into the final stretch.

Goodrick raised a little over $100 last quarter, ending June with about $33 on hand. Pujji didn鈥檛 have an active campaign account as of Wednesday.

The winner of the Aug. 6 GOP primary will take on Democrat Mark Osmack of Manchester in the Nov. 5 general election. Libertarian John A. Hartwig Jr. of Clayton is also running.