JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The special committee investigating Gov. Eric Greitens has determined the video deposition of the key witness does not undermine the narrative as claimed by the embattled governor, according to an addendum to the original report.
“Greitens and his team claimed that the video of the interview ‘undermined the narrative’ and ‘directly contradicted allegations in the House report.’ We took these claims seriously and immediately sought the video interview in question,” said Rep. Jay Barnes, chairman of the House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight. “The committee does not find anything in the Circuit Attorney interview that causes it to change its statement regarding Witness 1’s credibility. Greitens’ claims about the content of the Circuit Attorney interview mischaracterize the actual testimony received and reviewed by this committee.”
“As our committee said in the initial report, we find the testimony of Witness 1 to be credible. The video interview conducted by the Circuit Attorney’s office only reinforces that view as it does not in any way contradict what she told the committee,” said Rep. Don Phillips.
On April 11, 2018, the investigative committee released a graphic report detailing the Republican governor’s extramarital affair in 2015. In the report, the key witness — who has not been named publicly — described instances of spanking, slapping, shoving, and derogatory slurs.
Graphic House report details instances of spanking, slapping, derogatory names
In response to the report, Greitens called it a “witch hunt,” “tabloid trash,” and said that it was entirely consensual. He also claimed that the video deposition of the interview of Witness 1 conducted by the Circuit Attorney’s office in St. Louis “directly contradicted allegations in the House report” and that the video would “undermined the narrative.”
Greitens decries House investigative report, calls it ‘full of lies’
The addendum to the original report does not sustain Greitens claims.
Witness 1 told the CAO “And I was like, ‘I’m leaving’ and went to go upstairs, and he took me in his arms and was like, no, no … you can’t leave like this. You can’t leave. Come here. And lays me down on the ground where I’m laying on his, like, basement floor in the fetal position.”
On the same topic, she told the House committee, “I was like, ‘No, I’m leaving, I’m leaving.’ And I start walking out – or going to go up the stairs, and he grabs me and like – like in a bear hug and was like, ‘Shh, shh, it’s okay, calm down, calm down,’ and like lays me down on this ground in the basement.”
In both interviews she describes crying, calling it “hysterical” to the AGO and “uncontrollable” to the committee.
In both interviews Witness 1 details that Greitens proceeds to “undo his pants,” “takes his penis out,” and “put it near my face.” In the following events, she describes it as “oral sex” to the committee and a “blow job” to the AGO.
The addendum to the report states “The Committee does not find anything in the Circuit Attorney interview that causes it to change its statement regarding Witness 1’s credibility.
“Greitens’ claims about the content of the Circuit Attorney interview mischaracterize the actual testimony received and reviewed by this Committee.”
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.
