Eric Greitens Image by Rubenstein Public Relations

By Nathan Guttman February 28, 2018

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who was indicted last week on felony invasion of privacy charges stemming from an alleged blackmail plot, will remain a recipient of a lucrative prize for Jewish humanitarians sponsored by one of the Jewish community’s most notable philanthropists.

Before entering politics, Greitens established a nonprofit called The Mission Continues, which helps veterans readjust to life after deployment. This earned him the 2012 Charles Bronfman Prize, which comes with a $100,000 award.

“I think about tikkun olam, about the call to repair the world, and about how we can use our limited time to be of service,” Greitens wrote in his acceptance statement.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Greitens was elected governor in 2016 and emerged as a Republican rising star. But he crashed to earth this year after he was accused of having an affair with another woman, taking photos of her without her consent while she was nude, and threatening to expose them if she spoke of their relationship.

Both Republicans and Democrats have called on Greitens to resign. But his troubles will not change his status as recipient of the lucrative award.

“We are saddened and disappointed by the recent allegations brought against Eric Greitens. He was the overwhelming choice for the 2012 Prize when his life journey had shown him to be an outstanding leader and humanitarian,” said Jill Collier Indyk, executive director of The Charles Bronfman Prize, in a statement to the Forward. “These allegations do not in any way diminish the admiration and profound respect the Prize has for the ongoing work of The Mission Continues, the organization Greitens founded, and the values it shares with the Prize.”

Greitens is the nation’s only Jewish governor.

Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount