Tag: Eric Greitens

The Story: Eric Greitens was elected Governor of Missouri in 2016 and inaugurated the following January. He resigned in June 2018, in the midst of...

When St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh on Thursday asked members of the St. Louis Public Radio political team which regional politics story they consider to have been the biggest story of 2018, they were split on their answers. Reporter Jo Mannies deemed now-former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill’s loss to then-Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley the top story of the year, but Mannies’ colleague Jason Rosenbaum settled on the saga surrounding former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in May. Their editor, Fred Ehrlich, ultimately sided with Rosenbaum. “I’ve been doing this for a long time … and that is the craziest story I’ve covered in my career, and that includes a lot of interesting, complicated stories,” said Ehrlich. “And one of the reasons was that almost every day there was a new twist and turn in it.” Along with the Greitens case and the U.S. Senate outcome, the conversation about the past year in politics touched on other big stories including newly elected St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell’s victory against longtime incumbent Bob McCulloch, the Illinois gubernatorial race and Missouri voters’ approval of medical marijuana. The politics team also looked ahead to what’s in store regionally in 2019. Listen to the full discussion: St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Alex Heuer, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon, leaving behind a brief and tumultuous legacy and moving on from his first public office with the continued prospect of criminal prosecution related to his 2016 campaign. Wochit Of course, the special prosecutor drops the legal initiative to pursue pending charges after the governor resigns. It was probably never an intended consequence of all the legal plans and declarations stated so frequently by the media. In my opinion, the real goal was to remove him from office by every means possible. The best way to achieve that goal is to pile on the charges and force an individual to assume massive legal expenses with no end in sight. It's not always whether you're guilty or not but if you can afford the litigation expense. Most people cannot. It's scary to think that the legal system and forces in support of the politics behind an effort could do the same to any one of us.

Today in 5 Lines During an interview on ABC’s The View, adult-film star Stormy Daniels released a sketch of the man she claims threatened her to “leave Trump alone” in 2011. Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley announced that his office may have discovered evidence of criminal wrongdoing by state Governor Eric Greitens, who denied the allegations. Representative Charlie Dent said he will resign from Congress “in the coming weeks,” after announcing in December that he would not seek reelection in 2018. Justice Neil Gorsuch sided with the Supreme Court’s four liberal justices to strike down a law that allowed the government to deport immigrants who have been convicted of crimes. During a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Trump said North and South Korea have his “blessing” to discuss the end of their 68-year war. Today on The Atlantic More Sean News: Sean Hannity denies that Michael Cohen was his lawyer, but Rosie Gray reports that the Fox News host has used the legal services of two other lawyers with close links to Trump. : To understand what happens next in the Michael Cohen case, here are all the people you need to know about. (Natasha Bertrand) The Sanctions That Never Came: The White House’s backpedaling on new sanctions against Russia reveals a broader policy battle churning within the administration. (Krishnadev Calamur) The Oldest Trick in the Book: One of the easiest ways to hack America’s democratic institutions is through racism, writes Vann R. Newkirk II. Snapshot What We’re Reading He’s Doing It Wrong: Jack Shafer argues that former FBI Director James Comey doesn’t seem to realize that his self-righteous posturing in recent television interviews is actually evoking sympathy for Donald Trump.

The Democratic Governors Association (DGA) called on Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) to resign on Thursday in the wake of his indictment on charges of felony privacy invasion. "Following today’s indictment, Governor Greitens should step down immediately. The people of Missouri deserve a governor who can focus full-time on the issues affecting the state," the statement continued. The Hill has reached out to the RGA for comment. The governor was taken into custody by law enforcement and was booked at the St. Louis Justice Center. His attorney later released a statement calling the charges "baseless and unfounded.' "My client is absolutely innocent. The state Senate's Majority Leader Mike Kehoe (R) said he was "not prepared" to say whether Greitens should resign, while House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty (D) suggested he should step aside. "While the criminal justice system must run its course, the governor needs to consider whether remaining in office under these circumstances is the right thing to do for not only himself and his family but for the people of Missouri," she said.

Today in 5 Lines Special Counsel Robert Mueller filed new fraud and money-laundering charges against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort and his associate Rick Gates. In a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said “opportunists” exploited last week’s mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, “for political gain.” The Pentagon is reportedly considering options that would allow Trump to replace National-Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. And a St. Louis grand jury indicted Missouri Governor Eric Greitens on one count of invasion of privacy. : Over time, mass shootings have become increasingly normalized, but the CNN town hall on Wednesday may have been a sign of real change. (Vann R. Newkirk II) The Potency of the AR-15: Heather Sher, a Florida radiologist, treated victims of the Parkland shooting, and noticed their injuries were different from other shooting victims': “How could a gunshot wound have caused this much damage?” Can the ATF Ban Bump Stocks? : President Trump’s suggestion that the agency ban the firearm accessories is more performative than meaningful. (Elaine Godfrey) A Weak Cri de Coeur: While Freedom Caucus members were successful in pushing John Boehner out of the speakership in 2015, a coup against House leadership would likely fail today. (New York) A Fact of the Matter: In the wake of the Parkland shooting, President Trump suggested arming teachers. Do you want to see specific reforms from lawmakers to address mass shootings in the U.S.?