GOP legislative leaders urge Missouri governor to resign

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri’s Republican legislative leadership called on Gov. Eric Greitens to resign Tuesday after the state’s attorney general suggested that Greitens’ use of a charity donor list for political purposes may have broken state law.

“I will not be resigning the governor's office,” Greitens replied.

The GOP governor already is facing a felony invasion-of-privacy charge related to an extramarital affair that occurred as he was preparing to run for governor in 2015. Legislative leaders said the potential of a second felony charge was too much for the state to bear.

“When leaders lose the ability to effectively lead our state, the right thing to do is step aside,” House Speaker Todd Richardson said in a joint statement with House Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr and House Majority Floor Leader Rob Vescovo.

Greitens said he plans to remain in office as his May 14 trial date approaches on the invasion-of-privacy charge.

If Greitens doesn’t quit, Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said the House should begin impeachment proceedings.

Earlier Tuesday, Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley said an investigation by his office shows that Greitens took computer data listing the top donors to The Mission Continues without the consent of the St. Louis-based veterans’ charity he had founded and used it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign.

Hawley said he referred the matter to St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, who has jurisdiction to decide whether to charge Greitens with a crime.