JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – It’s been another busy week in Missouri politics, and much of the news has centered around the Governor’s Office.
The week kicked off with House Speaker Todd Richardson announcing the formation of a special investigative committee that is being tasked with looking into the allegations against Gov. Eric Greitens.
House moves forward with Greitens investigation, Barnes to lead committee
But while the House was making that announcement, the Governor was not in the Capital City, instead, visiting southeastern Missouri and meeting with families and responders working on recovery efforts after severe storms and an EF2 tornado hit the boot heel.
Today, we met with families and responders coming together to recover after the tornado in Southeast MO. This is a resilient community. In the face of serious danger and damage, the faith, strength, and spirit of the community is unbroken. pic.twitter.com/nEnfd7y2Ox
— Eric Greitens (@EricGreitens) February 26, 2018
The following day, polling was released, showing less favorable toward the Governor in recent weeks.
Should Gov. Greitens resign? New polling shows voters think so
On Wednesday, the Governor announced the hanging of a George Washington Carver portrait in the mansion.
On Thursday, the House began moving forward with the next step of the process, approving a resolution to let the committee begin its work.
Barnes files resolution to launch House investigation of Gov. Greitens
But that wasn’t the only news of the day concerning the Governor’s Office, as Attorney General Josh Hawley made public the fact that his office would be investigating the Governor’s former charity, The Mission Continues.
Greitens campaign ties to veteran charity under scrutiny — again
The Governor also signed HB 1246, which directs the Department of Public Safety to create a poster that provides information regarding the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The law will take effect on August 28, 2018, and will require entities located in areas most likely to see high levels of human trafficking to display the poster. These establishments will be required to display to poster starting March 1, 2019.
Following news that the state would be getting an unexpected $80 million in new funds, the Governor also released his “Rural Growth Plan.”
MO ag groups praise Governor’s Rural Growth Plan, legislature may have other plans
And some good news for the embattled Governor also emerged on Thursday, as the final report from the Attorney General’s Office concluded that the Governor’s Office had not broken any laws with the usage of the Confide app. The announcement of the results, however, did not come from the Attorney General’s Office, but rather, were issued by the Governor’s press secretary in a release with their statement.
AG report says Greitens’ office didn’t break any laws with use of Confide app
The Governor also made a stop to visit with veterans, family, and staff at the St. Louis Veterans Home on Thursday.
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.
