JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A panel of Missouri state representatives will be hosting an ethics inquiry into Rep. Warren Love’s controversial comments on social media next week, and the leader of the House Democrats is inviting Governor Eric Greitens to testify.
The House Ethics Committee will meet Oct. 16 to discuss the comments from Rep. Love, in which he posted on Facebook that vandals who painted a Confederate monument should be hanged.
“This is totally against the law,” Love’s post read. “I hope they are found & hung from a tall tree with a long rope. National Veterans Cemetery in Springfield, Mo.”
Following his comments, House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty, D-Kansas City, formally called for an investigation by the ethics committee, which could lead to a letter admonishing Love, or his reprimanding or censure.
If censured, it would be the second time this year that a state lawmaker would receive that particular punishment, as the Senate in September voted to censure Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal for her comments regarding her hopes of the assassination of President Donald Trump.
On Thursday, Beatty penned a letter to the Republican Governor inviting him to testify in support of the remonstrance.
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Open in new tab In August, Greitens tweeted that “Leaders in MO need to do better & I don’t think the Sen or Rep should be representing the people of MO; both should face same consequences.”
A spokesman for the Governor’s Office later clarified that the Governor believed Rep. Love should resign his position.
As of the date of publishing this article, no actions have been taken against Love except to send the case to the House Ethics Committee.
“If you sincerely believe that both Rep. Love and Sen. Chappelle-Nadal should face the same consequences, as you have previously stated, your testimony and leadership would go a long way toward ensuring that Rep. Love does not escape accountability for his actions,” Beatty wrote in her letter.
The House Ethics Committee will meet Monday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m. in Room 302-A.
Benjamin Peters was a reporter for The Missouri Times and Missouri Times Magazine and also produced the #MoLeg Podcast. He joined The Missouri Times in 2016 after working as a sports editor and TV news producer in mid-Missouri. Benjamin is a graduate of Missouri State University in Springfield.
