Sen. Claire McCaskill's (D., Mo.) husband, Joseph Shepard, invested in properties designed for military veterans that then tried to evict homeless veterans over unpaid rent as low as $233.
Shepard's Sugar Creek Capital was listed in 2013 as an "Equity Investor (State)" and was the state’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) syndicator for the Salvation Army St. Louis Garrison Residence in Missouri, Fox News reports. The development was deemed a "permanent solution" for homeless veterans, receiving $815,000 in federal LIHTCs and $250,000 in state LIHTCs.
Between 2015 and 2016, the residence tried to evict at least five formerly homeless veterans for unpaid rent.
In April 2016, the residence filed an eviction lawsuit against Raymond Black, who had $233.25 in unpaid rent. That same month, the residence sued Raymond Godfrey for not paying $1,065 in rent. A few months later, Henry Goss risked eviction for owing $290.
In 2015, Craig Williams faced a landlord complaint for late rent of $1,896 and had to vacate the residence. Henry Wilson was sued for owing $1,274 in rent that same year.
Shepard's company also invested in the Freedom Place Apartments, which was intended to serve homeless veterans. The residence attempted to evict two formerly homeless veterans, winning one case and dismissing another.
The McCaskill campaign issued a statement in response to a Fox News inquiry.
"Joseph Shepard has a less than 1% interest in those projects and zero control of management. All occupancy and management decisions are made by the property managers, such as the Salvation Army and St. Patrick Center. Claire’s record on veterans issues is unmatched," the campaign wrote.
Shepard's business record has been raised eyebrows. Earlier this month, the Washington Free Beacon reported that McCaskill's husband "has made at least $11 million through a business that buys up tax credits awarded to Missouri affordable housing developers and sells them to high-income entities seeking tax relief."
McCaskill is currently locked in a competitive Senate race against Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley (R.), with the RealClearPolitics average giving Hawley a slight edge.