From Rep. Kathie Conway, 104th District:
Before being elected to the House, I listened to Eric Greitens give a speech about why he started “The Mission Continues” and what they accomplished. I was so impressed with this young man that I wrote a check to “The Missouri Continues” that evening. I was also proud to cast my vote for this same young man to be the Governor of the State of Missouri.
Today, he is facing a situation that puts him, his young family, and the ability of the State of Missouri to function normally, in peril. Very serious and very disturbing accusation have been leveled against him. He has admitted to the affair, and he has reached out to members of the legislature, including me.
However, after taking the weekend to think, study the facts, and pray about it, the path forward is really becoming clear. With a heavy heart, I ask the Governor to consider resigning and allow the state to move forward with its work for our citizens.
As a former criminal investigator for a prosecuting attorney, I have an idea of what could unfold in the coming weeks. There would be a long process that will be humiliating to everyone involved. There would be no privacy that can be realistically offered when the Governor of a state is under investigation. All the while, our state will continue to be embarrassed on the national stage.
I believe deeply in our system of justice, but this goes beyond possible criminal wrongdoing. This is a question of ethics and doing the right thing. As the Governor said while campaigning, “I believe in ethics, and I believe our leaders should not only do what is legal, but what is honorable.” The honorable thing to do in this situation would be to step aside for the good of the state.
I have no wish to cause the First Lady any further embarrassment or pain as I have great admiration for her and the accomplishments in her life. She has been nothing but gracious and kind in every dealing I have had with her. I also have no interest in causing further paid to the other innocent people caught up in this scandal, particularly the children of the woman involved. It is a tragedy.
While this affair involving the Governor was unfolding in the spring of 2015, the Missouri House was grappling over another elected official caught up in a scandal that did not come close to the accusations currently leveled against the Governor.
That individual chose to resign his position. He chose this because of his dedication to his family, his state, and his friends and colleagues in government. He chose this course because he believed in taking responsibility for his actions. My heart was broken then. My heart was broken now.
If Missouri Republicans want to say we honestly support family values, we must be prepared to take a stand and not allow these acts to be supported by our party. It is easy to say we stand for family values. It is much harder today when we actually have to possibly put thought actions behind those words.
Taking a quote from the Governor’s own book, Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life, “Knowing is usually the easy part. Doing is much harder.”
