JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and current Gov. Mike Parson (all times local):
5:50 p.m.
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has hired longtime staffers and well-known Republican politicos to work for him in the governor’s office.
Parson on Tuesday announced he picked former state House Republican staffer Robert Knodell as deputy chief of staff.
Knodell is the former executive director of the House Republican Campaign Committee and worked for top House Republicans.
Parson also is bringing on spokeswoman Kelli Jones to be press secretary and longtime Executive Assistant Marylyn Luetkemeyer to continue serving in that role.
Parson on Monday named former U.S. Department of Commerce official Aaron Willard to be his chief of staff.
Former Republican Rep. Justin Alferman will be Parson’s legislative director. Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s former deputy chief of staff, Steele Shippy, is now the governor’s communications director.
Parson assumed office Friday shortly after former Republican Gov. Eric Greitens resigned.
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3:45 p.m.
The Missouri attorney general’s office has determined that the St. Louis circuit attorney can release the full agreement that dismissed a computer data tampering charge against former Gov. Eric Greitens.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner on Monday asked Attorney General Josh Hawley to determine whether her office could legally release the full agreement approved by a judge last week. The felony charge accusing Greitens of misusing a charity donor list was dropped as part of an agreement that called for Greitens to resign. He left office Friday.
On Tuesday, D. John Sauer, an assistant attorney general and state solicitor, wrote in a letter to Gardner that a review found that the unredacted agreement constitutes an open record under Missouri law.
It’s unclear if or when the agreement will be released. Messages on Tuesday seeking comment from Gardner’s office and from Greitens’ attorneys were not immediately returned.
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3 p.m.
New Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is starting off his time in the governor’s mansion by talking with state lawmakers and local elected officials.
Parson met Tuesday with Republican House legislative leaders and a bipartisan group of Missouri mayors.
Parson appears to be setting himself apart from former Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned Friday amid allegations of personal and political misconduct.
Greitens was a self-described political outsider who didn’t shy away from conflict and often clashed with members of his own party.
But Parson has a long record of serving as an elected official.
Kansas City Mayor Sly James says he worked with Parson when he was a lawmaker and described him as reasonable and willing to listen.
Republican House Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr says Parson likely will be much more involved with the Legislature.
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10:45 a.m.
New Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson is starting off his time in the governor’s mansion by talking with state lawmakers and local elected officials.
Parson is set to meet Tuesday with Republican House legislative leaders and a bipartisan group of Missouri mayors, including Kansas City Mayor Sly James.
Parson took office Friday, the same day former Gov. Eric Greitens officially resigned amid allegations of personal and political misconduct.
Parson also is starting to assemble his team of top staffers.
He announced Tuesday that Aaron Willard will be his chief of staff. Willard served as chief of staff to former speakers of the state House, led President Donald Trump’s campaign in Missouri and then joined the Trump administration in the U.S. Commerce Department.
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9:45 a.m.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner wants to make public the full agreement that dismissed a computer data tampering charge against former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.
Gardner on Monday asked Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley to determine if her office can legally release the full agreement approved by a judge last week. The felony charge was dropped as part of an agreement that called for Greitens to resign. He left office Friday.
The charge accused Greitens of using a donor list from the veterans’ charity he founded for political fundraising in his 2016 campaign.
The “stipulation for dismissal” agreement includes seven provisions. Two of them are redacted. Gardner’s office said in a letter to Hawley that she believes the documents should be disclosed even though the case has been dismissed.
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