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HAWLEY: MAGO will investigate ‘alleged wrongdoing by the Koster administration’ in connection to Smith lawsuit

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley today announced that his Office intends to retain independent counsel to investigate alleged wrongdoing by the Koster Administration in connection with the 2012 civil lawsuit over the death of Anthony Lamar Smith.

The attorney for the family of Mr. Smith sent a letter to the Attorney General’s Office on September 18 alleging withholding of evidence by the City of St. Louis and officials in the Koster Administration. The Attorney General’s Office has conducted an initial review of the family’s allegations. In light of that review, Attorney General Hawley will appoint an independent counsel with expertise in legal ethics and governmental wrongdoing to investigate the allegations thoroughly.

“The attorney for the family of Anthony Lamar Smith has raised serious allegations of wrongdoing by the Koster Administration,” Hawley said. “As Mr. Smith’s family states, these allegations deserve ‘a full, accurate, and transparent’ accounting.”

The independent counsel will have full access to files and personnel to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased review of the potential wrongdoing, which is alleged to have occurred between 2013 and 2016.