JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Eric Greitens is no longer being represented by Dowd Bennett in a lawsuit involving his use of Confide and the Sunshine law, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The St. Louis-based firm was appointed to represent the governor in Sansone lawsuit in January and had been working “at no cost” to Greitens or the taxpayer. Dowd Bennett reportedly continues to handle Greitens’ defense in a separate criminal case involving an extramarital affair.
As of Monday night, Ed Dowd, Jr. was still listed as an attorney for the defendant on Case.net and an inquiry to Dowd Bennett was directed to the Governor’s office. Greitens’ staff did not respond to the Missouri Times. Both Dowd and Jim Bennett are still registered as lobbyists for Greitens as of Monday, March 12.
According to the Post-Dispatch, Parker Briden, Greitens’ spokesman, said in a statement, “Now that the attorney general has concluded that the governor’s office follows state Sunshine and records retention laws, Dowd Bennett has withdrawn from the matter.”
Attorney General Josh Hawley issued a report — which was released through the Governor’s Office — stating that there was no evidence available that Greitens’ and his staff violated open records laws in using the Confide app.
Bryan Cave law firm has been retained to handle the remainder of the Sansone lawsuit, according to the Post-Dispatch.
Alisha Shurr was a reporter for The Missouri Times and The Missouri Times Magazine. She joined The Missouri Times in January 2018 after working as a copy editor for her hometown newspaper in Southern Oregon. Alisha is a graduate of Kansas State University.
