MO Governor's indictment leaves local legislator with questions
February 28, 2018
Charlea Estes-Jones
With news spreading nationally of the allegations against Missouri’s Governor Eric Greitens, local state representative
Scott Fitzpatrick is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding Greitens’ ability to lead the state during a felony investigation. The House officially launched a committee to investigate the issue on Monday, February 26.
Gov. Greitens, in his second year of governorship, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, February 22, and charged with felony invasion of privacy. According to the indictment, Greitens allegedly photographed a woman he was having an affair with while she was either nude or partially nude without her permission. Greitens then allegedly moved the image for computer access. The alleged incident took place on March 21, 2015, before Greitens was elected governor.
While Greitens publicly admitted to the affair from 2015, he and his wife released joint statements regarding their marriage and his continuation as governor of the state. According to multiple reports, Greitens threatened to release the images of the woman if she spoke of the affair. The first hearing of that indictment is set for May 14.
However, now that a felony indictment is in play, many legislators have called for Greitens’ resignation, and a committee in the House is investigating to determine whether Greitens can continue to serve during the process.
Greitens denies the charges and released a statement that said, “As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor. I did not commit a crime. This will not for a moment deter me from doing the important work of the great
people of Missouri.”
Local Representative Scott Fitzpatrick said, “At this point, the House of Representatives has an obligation to investigate the circumstances surrounding the indictment of the Governor. The outcome of that investigation will determine my position on the Governor and whether or not he is fit to continue to serve.
“Having not been privy to the testimony or the facts made available to the grand jury, I️ am not asking for the governor to resign at this time.
“To the question of whether or not the indictment is politically motivated, the answer is I do not know. What I do know is that the St. Louis City Prosecutor is a liberal Democrat with whom I served in the House of Representatives for four years prior to her election as prosecutor. It is without question that this investigation has elevated her political profile, and successfully convicting a sitting Republican Governor would absolutely elevate it even further. So, while I cannot say that I know this is a political witch hunt, all the ingredients for that recipe are present, and for that reason I believe it is prudent to wait for the House investigation to take place before making any determinations regarding the governor’s future.”
House Speaker Todd Richardson released the names of the seven legislators who would be on the committee to investigate the matter of Greitens’ indictment and his ability to lead during that time. The committee is led by Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City.
Other members are Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City, Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs, Kevin Austin, R-Springfield, Shawn
Rhoads, R-West Plains, Gina Mitten, D-Richmond Heights, and Tommie Pierson Jr, D-St. Louis.
House Speaker Todd Richardson, Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr and Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo released a statement on Thursday:
“We will carefully examine the facts contained in the indictment and answer the question as to whether or not the governor can lead our state while a felony case moves forward. The people of Missouri deserve no less. We will begin the process of tasking a group of legislators to investigate these serious charges.”
Charlea Estes-Jones
With news spreading nationally of the allegations against Missouri’s Governor Eric Greitens, local state representative
Scott Fitzpatrick is taking a wait-and-see approach regarding Greitens’ ability to lead the state during a felony investigation. The House officially launched a committee to investigate the issue on Monday, February 26.
Gov. Greitens, in his second year of governorship, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday, February 22, and charged with felony invasion of privacy. According to the indictment, Greitens allegedly photographed a woman he was having an affair with while she was either nude or partially nude without her permission. Greitens then allegedly moved the image for computer access. The alleged incident took place on March 21, 2015, before Greitens was elected governor.
While Greitens publicly admitted to the affair from 2015, he and his wife released joint statements regarding their marriage and his continuation as governor of the state. According to multiple reports, Greitens threatened to release the images of the woman if she spoke of the affair. The first hearing of that indictment is set for May 14.
However, now that a felony indictment is in play, many legislators have called for Greitens’ resignation, and a committee in the House is investigating to determine whether Greitens can continue to serve during the process.
Greitens denies the charges and released a statement that said, “As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor. I did not commit a crime. This will not for a moment deter me from doing the important work of the great
people of Missouri.”
Local Representative Scott Fitzpatrick said, “At this point, the House of Representatives has an obligation to investigate the circumstances surrounding the indictment of the Governor. The outcome of that investigation will determine my position on the Governor and whether or not he is fit to continue to serve.
“Having not been privy to the testimony or the facts made available to the grand jury, I️ am not asking for the governor to resign at this time.
“To the question of whether or not the indictment is politically motivated, the answer is I do not know. What I do know is that the St. Louis City Prosecutor is a liberal Democrat with whom I served in the House of Representatives for four years prior to her election as prosecutor. It is without question that this investigation has elevated her political profile, and successfully convicting a sitting Republican Governor would absolutely elevate it even further. So, while I cannot say that I know this is a political witch hunt, all the ingredients for that recipe are present, and for that reason I believe it is prudent to wait for the House investigation to take place before making any determinations regarding the governor’s future.”
House Speaker Todd Richardson released the names of the seven legislators who would be on the committee to investigate the matter of Greitens’ indictment and his ability to lead during that time. The committee is led by Rep. Jay Barnes, R-Jefferson City.
Other members are Don Phillips, R-Kimberling City, Jeanie Lauer, R-Blue Springs, Kevin Austin, R-Springfield, Shawn
Rhoads, R-West Plains, Gina Mitten, D-Richmond Heights, and Tommie Pierson Jr, D-St. Louis.
House Speaker Todd Richardson, Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr and Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo released a statement on Thursday:
“We will carefully examine the facts contained in the indictment and answer the question as to whether or not the governor can lead our state while a felony case moves forward. The people of Missouri deserve no less. We will begin the process of tasking a group of legislators to investigate these serious charges.”