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Greitens reaffirms commitment to ‘fight for the people of Missouri’ on eve of special session

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Eric Greitens told a crowd of rural Missourians on Thursday he won’t quit or back down from his position in the face of attacks from special interest groups.

While announcing $4 million in funds that have been backlogged for years to biodiesel plants, the embattled governor shifted focus to his work as governor. It was his first public appearance since the felony invasion of privacy charge against him was dropped.

“As you know, when you take a common sense, conservative approach to government, you can’t always make everyone happy and that’s okay, that’s okay,” said Greitens. “Some of the people who are most angry, who are most angry we are standing up and fighting for the forgotten, most angry that we are taking a common sense, conservative approach to government, are the rip off artists who thought they ran Missouri.”

He singled out “tax-credit millionaires” as the group that is most upset by his governorship. According to Greitens, there was a “scheme” going where companies would take “taxpayer money and claim they were going to use it for a good purpose such as low-income housing.”

Pointing to an example in Cape Girardeau, he said: “you all know it doesn’t cost $376,000 to build an apartment.”

“If you are a Democrat, it does,” someone yelled from the audience.

“Here in Missouri we have a word for that, it’s called a scam. And, you know what, those days are over in Missouri,” said Greitens.

In the past, Greitens’ defense team has pointed to ending the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits as the reason for the attempts to ousts him as governor.

While he never directly reference the allegations against him or any of the investigations into his activities, he made it clear he has no intention of resigning.

Greitens is facing a felony computer tampering charge in St. Louis for theft of The Mission Continues’ donor list. A House investigative committee is also looking to how Greitens came into possession of the donor list along with campaign-related finance issues, the unauthorized use of an elected official’s signature, and an extramarital affair in March 2015.   

The Attorney General is also investigating the governor for potential open records law violations and Greitens is facing a lawsuit over his use of the Confide app which deletes messages after they are read.

“No matter what they throw at me, no matter how painful they try to make it, no matter how much suffering they want to put me and my family through and my team through, I want you to know that when I look to my left, I see you. And when I look to my right, I see your family and your friends and our neighbors and our community,” said Greitens.

“And we’re going to step forward day after day after day and continue in our mission to fight for the people of Missouri.”

He shook hands and took pictures with some of those that attended the event but did not answer any questions. Greitens was followed from the event by reporters who filmed them asking him questions with no response.