In his haste to distance himself from Gov. Eric Greitens, Attorney General Josh Hawley erred in calling for Greitens' resignation.
Hawley made the statement April 11, the same day a House committee released a salacious report about Greitens in the wake of is felony invasion of privacy charge.
Hawley called for Greitens to "immediately resign," and said the report was grounds for impeachment.
Hawley isn't the only one to say this, but he was investigating the governor at the time. A week after he made the statement, he released a report citing evidence Greitens committed a felony by stealing an electronic donor database from The Mission Continues, a nonprofit group Greitens previously started.
Hawley's report has led to a second felony charge against Greitens.
It has also led to questions as to whether it was appropriate for Hawley to call for Greitens' resignation while investigating him.
Greitens' attorneys pounced on the statement, seeking a court order banning Hawley to investigate him. Greitens, through his attorneys, said Hawley's call for his resignation makes Hawley unable to conduct an impartial investigation.
Hawley's team defended his action in a court filing, and then said he was just doing his job: "It is a critical aspect of the Attorney General's duty and responsibility to the people of Missouri to provide leadership in calling on Mr. Greitens to resign in the wake of credible, corroborated evidence of sexual coercion, blackmail, and violence by Mr. Greitens."
We'll trust a judge to determine any legal fallout from Hawley's statements. However, in the court of public opinion, we believe he should have kept silent while investigating the governor. At the very least, it gives the perception his investigation could be tainted. At the most, he could have jeopardized a criminal case involving the state's top elected official.
For Hawley, he may have felt like he had two choices, neither advantageous. Hawley is challenging U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., for her seat. Democrats previously charged Hawley with giving the governor a pass at possibly illegal activities.
So he was faced with either joining a growing group that's calling for Greitens' resignation, or risking further criticism by staying silent while finishing his investigation.
Unfortunately, in this instance, Hawley chose his political campaign over his job as attorney general.