Prosecutors Drop Criminal Charge Against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens
Eric Greitens Image by Getty
May 14 (Reuters) – St. Louis prosecutors on Monday dismissed the criminal invasion of privacy charge against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, ending a widely anticipated trial for the state’s top politician related to a sex scandal before the jury was even selected.
However, the case will be refiled, the office of Circuit Attorney for the City of St. Louis said in a statement. Kim Gardner’s office said it will decide to either pursue a special prosecutor or appoint one of her assistants to handle the case.
Prosecutors said they dropped the charge after state circuit court Judge Rex Burlison granted Greitens’ request to call Gardner as a witness.
Representatives for the Republican governor did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Jury selection began on Thursday.
Greitens, a 44-year-old former U.S. Navy SEAL commando, was indicted in February on a felony invasion of privacy charge in connection with an admitted extramarital affair in 2015 before his election.
Greitens has said he is innocent of any criminal wrongdoing and called the relationship in question consensual. While facing mounting pressure to resign, Greitens has vowed to remain in office while fighting to clear his name.
The Missouri General Assembly will convene a special session on Friday to consider impeachment or any other discipline that a special House investigative panel may recommend against Greitens.
Last month, prosecutors brought an unrelated charge of computer tampering against the governor, alleging he obtained and transmitted the donor list without the charity’s consent for his own political gain.
A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
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. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
