JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Graves Garrett, the law firm representing some members of the Governor’s Office, has announced the formation of a legal expense fund to aid in paying for legal expenses for some official staff members of the Governor’s Office.
The new nonprofit, called the Missouri Legal Expense Fund, was created on March 6 in compliance with Section 527 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. § 527), which makes it a tax-exempt structure.
The fund will be used to receive contributions and pay for the legal representation of official staff members of the Office of the Governor in connection with any legal inquiries, criminal charges pursued by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, investigations conducted by the Missouri General Assembly, or any other related inquiries, investigations or proceedings.
Graves Garrett will provide legal representation to official staff members whose expenses are paid by the fund.
The fund’s three directors are Eric O’Keefe, a Wisconsin resident and national political activist, and Missouri attorneys Terry Brady and William Greim.
O’Keefe helped to lead the legal fight against the Wisconsin John Doe investigation, launched by the Milwaukee County District Attorney against Governor Scott Walker and his political allies.
The investigation ended in a defeat for the prosecutors in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which called the investigation “unconstitutional” and criticized prosecutors for using “theories of law that do not exist.”
O’Keefe will serve as President of the Fund.
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.
