Missouri governor vows he won’t quit amid allegations
Greitens faces a criminal charge and potential impeachment
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Drawing on his Navy SEAL training, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens asserted Thursday that he will not quit or back down despite a criminal charge and potential impeachment proceedings involving various allegations of misconduct against him.
Greitens’ defiant comments came as Missouri lawmakers and the governor’s legal team escalated their battle in advance of a special legislative session, starting today focused on potentially disciplining the governor.
A House panel sued two Greitens’ political committees Thursday to try to enforce subpoenas seeking records as part of an investigation into whether Greitens tried “to circumvent Missouri’s campaign finance disclosure laws.”
The governor’s campaign attorney countered later in the day by claiming that a former political aide had stolen a charity donor list — which Greitens is charged with misusing for his 2016 campaign — and shared it with a political group opposing Greitens’ candidacy.
Greitens hosted a relatively rare public event Thursday in Jefferson City to announce funding for biodiesel facilities. At the end of a celebratory speech, Greitens shifted topics to the challenges he’s facing and recounted how he once felt like quitting during a grueling Navy SEAL training session in which his team of seven men had carry a heavy log over a beach. Greitens said he kept going for the good of the team.