JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Less than a day after being indicted and taken into custody by law enforcement, Gov. Eric Greitens has canceled his weekend trip to Washington.
In a statement issued Friday morning, the Republican Governors Association said Greitens would be remaining in Missouri this weekend after the indictment on a charge of felony invasion of privacy. That would mean he would not be attending the meetings of the RGA’s executive committee, which were being held during the National Governor’s Association meeting.
In the statement, Executive Director Paul Bennecke said the Republican governor would be stepping down from the group’s executive committee, “given his desire to focus his full attention on moving forward in Missouri.”
Bennecke said they “look forward to a quick resolution of this issue” and said their thoughts and prayers are with Governor Greitens and his family.
From about @EricGreitens. 8:30 this morning. #mogov #moleg pic.twitter.com/TZdNGnrXSH
— Rachael Herndon Dunn (@therachdunn) February 23, 2018
The announcement of Greitens’ cancellations comes hours after the Democratic Governors Association’s Executive Director Elisabeth Pearson issued the following statement, calling on the Republican Governors Association to remove Greitens from its executive council.
“The charges against Eric Greitens are deeply disturbing and prove he is unfit to hold public office. Following today’s indictment, Governor Greitens should step down immediately. The people of Missouri deserve a governor who can focus full-time on the issues affecting the state,” she said in the statement. “The Republican Governors Association should send a clear message that it does not condone Governor Greitens’ illegal actions. The RGA should immediately remove Governor Greitens from its executive council.”
Greitens was taken into custody Thursday and subsequently released on a personal recognizance bond, which would permit him to freely travel throughout the U.S. However, it was Greitens who informed the committee that he would not be attending.
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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.
