Mailer Targets Beatty On OverDue Credit Card Bills

A Republican mailer is targeting the Democratic candidate in the #136th House District for his problems with credit card debt.

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"Reckless Nick Beatty has bought more than he can pay for; now he wants Missouri families to do the same," -- G.O.P. Mailer

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Nick Beatty acknowledges the claims in the mailer are true, but calls his struggle "a lesson" and "an advantage" because he says he won't let predatory lenders and credit card companies prey on other people.

A Republican mailer that claims Nick Beatty hasn't paid his credit card bills in Greene County is true, according to the Democratic candidate for the #136th District.

The mailer (pictured above) hit doors in the #136th legislative district this week. It reads: "Reckless Nick Beatty didn't pay his credit card bills and was sued three times in Greene County Court."

"That is true," Beatty said in an interview with the KY3 Political Notebook Thursday. "Those credit cards were sent out to me when I was in graduate school," he added.

Beatty said the overdue bills with three different credit cards companies accumulated during 2007 and 2008 while he was in graduate school. Beatty said the companies should not have granted him credit cards.

"When a credit card comes in the mail with $1000 or $2000 limit, those are kind of hard to turn down, and they know that," Beatty said of the credit card companies that offered him cards. "For anybody in that situation, it's a tough decision to make."

Beatty said he owes about $10,000 to the companies and the court cases are still pending. "I'm still trying to resolve them. I could've declared bankruptcy like Steve Helms for over $70,000, but I didn't want to handle it like that," Beatty said.

When asked if this raises questions about how he would be able to handle and direct taxpayer money in Jefferson City, Beatty said the experience would be helpful going forward. "Life has always been able to teach me. I'll be darned if I let this happen to other people. I think it's an advantage because I understand what happened," Beatty said.

"Everybody's got financial issues. My opponent, his uncle, Doug Burlison, is a perfect example. These are personal issues. I want to focus on the issues that should matter in this campaign like healthcare and education," Beatty added.

Beatty faces Republican Eric Burlison in the #136th House District. The mailer was paid for by the Missouri Republican State Committee in Jefferson City.