Missouri’s GOP leaders call on Greitens to step down

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.— Missouri’s Republican legislative leadership called on GOP 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. Greitens quickly replied that he won’t quit. The Republican 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. In our view, the time has come for the governor to resign,” 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.

“I will not be resigning the Governor’s office,” he said. “In three weeks, this matter will go to a court of law, where it belongs and where the facts will prove my innocence. Until then, I will do what the people of Missouri sent me here to do: to serve them and work hard on their behalf.” If Greitens doesn’t quit, Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard said the House should immediately begin impeachment proceedings to try to remove him from office. “We are past the point of concerning and alarming. Since his time in office, the governor has caused tension, conflict and hostility. The weight of his actions are being felt throughout the state,” Richard said. 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. Louisbased veterans’ charity he had founded and used it to raise money for his campaign.