Slay's role as lobbyist raises questions over conflict of interest in quest to privatize airport

Francis Slay, just weeks before leaving office as mayor in April of last year, initiated the process that could lead to the privatization of St. Louis Lambert International Airport. In June of this year, Slay was hired by Ferrovial Airports, a Madrid-based company with extensive experience in managing airports in Europe, and considered one of three top contenders in the bidding process for Lambert. Slay, who is an attorney, registered as a lobbyist in June with the Missouri Ethics Commission “to lobby local elected officials.” His role as a lobbyist for a company seeking to lease the city's largest asset through a process that he initiated while mayor has raised some eyebrows, and some serious questions about conflict of interest. Slay is in private practice with the law firm Spencer Fane. The former mayor did not respond to requests for comment. (Read Slay's op-ed piece on privatization for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch from last February.) When asked to provide some detail about Slay’s