6 senators propose investigation into Greitens' ethics

Gov. Eric Greitens speaks to supporters during a May 23 rally outside the Capitol.
Gov. Eric Greitens speaks to supporters during a May 23 rally outside the Capitol.

UPDATE: Kehoe says call to review Greitens stalled

Six Missouri senators want a legislative committee to investigate Gov. Eric Greitens' possible violations of ethics laws.

In a two-page resolution filed Monday, the six lawmakers - two Democrats and four Republicans - want a bipartisan, five-senator panel to "investigate any misconduct, crimes, corruption in office, or any offense involving moral turpitude or oppression in office committed by Gov. Greitens."

Sen. Jason Holsman, D-Kansas City, filed the resolution.

"Missouri voters deserve to know the role Gov. Greitens played in the illegal activity of his campaign, and how deep the corruption within the governor's organization continues to go," Holsman said in a news release. "We must protect the integrity of Missouri's highest office, and I am pleased to join my Republican colleagues in calling for this investigation."

Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, added: "We can no longer turn a blind eye to the unprecedented games being played by Gov. Greitens and his political machine.

"You can't ignore possible unethical behavior by the Governor or his campaign, just because you share the same party label."

But Todd Graves, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party and a former U.S. attorney, countered: "I'm deeply disturbed by the resolution put forward by a few Missouri state senators calling for an 'investigative committee' to look into the governor and private individuals and groups who support him.

"This is nothing more than a political stunt that the senators lack the legal authority - or basis for that matter - to conduct."

The senators' resolution lists three specific areas they want the committee to study, including:

Greitens' election campaign's use last year of a donor list from "The Mission Continues" - a nonprofit agency Greitens founded in 2007 to serve veterans.

The failure of the governor's nonprofit group - "A New Missouri" - to register as a lobbying organization.

Violations of state ethics laws by the "clear coordination" of the governor's official office, his political campaign and A New Missouri.

The senators propose a committee with three senators named by Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard, R-Joplin, and two named by Minority Leader Gina Walsh, D-Bellefontaine Neighbors - and the resolution gives that committee until Dec. 31, 2018, to complete its work, then issue a report to the full Senate and House, "and forward such findings to the appropriate state or federal law enforcement agency if needed."

The proposal was assigned Tuesday to the Senate's Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee, chaired by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City.

No hearing has been scheduled.

Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, is another one of the resolution's co-sponsors.

He told the News Tribune, and said in Holsman's release: "Teddy Roosevelt said it best - 'No man is above the law and no man is below it; nor do we ask any man's permission when we ask him to obey it.'"

Dixon added: "The interests of the governor and the people are best served by answered questions that clear the darkness from the air."

And Scott Sifton, D-Affton, said: "If the governor won't come clean, then we must use every resource available to the Senate to uncover the truth.

"It is a sad day for Missouri that it's come to this, but the governor's continued obsession with secrecy leaves us no other choice."

The resolution noted the Missouri Ethics Commission determined the "Greitens for Missouri" campaign committee violated ethics laws by receiving "the benefit of a list of prospective donors" from The Mission Continues, "for which the committee did not pay (and) did not disclose as a contribution received on any disclosure report."

The Ethics Commission "issued a consent order in which a fee was imposed," the resolution said, arguing it "is an untenable situation where the governor of this state is the subject of consent order for unethical behavior."

But, Graves noted, in his 12 years as both a county and a federal prosecutor, "I oversaw many thousands of investigations. The claims by these senators are baseless.

"Moreover, to re-cast a technical campaign issue that has already been resolved - and for a $100 fine, no less - as unethical or illegal is laughable."

State law defines a lobbyist as "an individual attempting to influence the state executive, state legislative, state judicial, or elected local government officials' actions," and the resolution argued, A New Missouri, "clearly and repeatedly meets this statutory definition but refuses to file as a lobbyist or lobbying organization."

Graves said: "This baseless and ill-informed political stunt is a desperate attempt to distract Missourians from the work the governor is doing to shake up Jefferson City and put an end to politics as usual.

"These stunts won't work - Missourians support Gov. Greitens' fight for true conservative reforms."