JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Latest on allegations against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):
4:45 p.m.
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway’s office is seeking information about the use of taxpayer funds to hire private attorneys for Gov. Eric Greitens’ office.
Attorneys Ross Garber and Eddie Greim say they’ve been hired to represent the governor’s office in potential House impeachment proceedings against Greitens.
Garber says he’s charging $320 an hour, which is half his normal rate. Greim says he and colleague Dane Martin are charging $340 an hour.
Galloway released a letter Tuesday that she had sent to Greitens’ office seeking copies of bids and contracts for the attorneys, itemized billings and the budget line item from which they are being paid.
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3:30 p.m.
St. Louis police have launched an investigation into the way the city prosecutor’s office handled the felony invasion-of-privacy case against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens.
Police say the decision to investigate was made after meeting with two of Greitens’ attorneys, who announced earlier Tuesday they would ask for an investigation. The defense attorneys allege that William Tisaby, an investigator hired by Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, lied to the court and withheld evidence.
Prosecutors dropped a felony invasion-of-privacy charge against Greitens on Monday after a court ruled that Gardner had to answer questions under oath from Greitens’ attorneys.
Gardner said in a statement that there is not “one shred of evidence” that Tisaby acted illegally or that his actions materially impacted evidence.
Gardner’s office has said the charge stemming from Greitens’ 2015 extramarital affair will be refiled by a special prosecutor or an assistant in her office.
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2:30 p.m.
An attorney for an investigator under fire in the now-dismissed criminal case against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens says his client is being used as a “scapegoat.”
Attorney Jermaine Wooten said Tuesday that private investigator William Tisaby did nothing wrong. Greitens’ lawyers claim the St. Louis prosecutor’s office allowed Tisaby to commit perjury and withhold evidence from defense attorneys.
Prosecutors on Monday dismissed a felony invasion-of-privacy charge against Grietens after a court ruled that St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner had to answer questions under oath from Greitens’ attorneys.
Wooten calls Tisaby “an honest and decent man” who was just doing his job.
Gardner’s office has said the charge stemming from Greitens’ 2015 extramarital affair will be refiled by a special prosecutor or an assistant in her office.
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12:30 p.m.
Attorneys for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens say they’ll ask police to look into alleged misconduct by the St. Louis prosecutor’s office in the handling of a felony charge against the governor.
Greitens’ attorney Ed Dowd said the defense team will be filing a report Tuesday with the St. Louis police department about the alleged misconduct.
Prosecutors dropped a felony invasion-of-privacy charge against Greitens on Monday after a court ruled that prosecutor Kim Gardner had to answer questions under oath from Greitens’ attorneys. Greitens’ lawyers claim Gardner allowed a private investigator to commit perjury and withhold evidence from defense attorneys.
Gardner’s office has said the charge stemming from Greitens’ 2015 extramarital affair be refiled by a special prosecutor or an assistant in her office.
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8:50 a.m.
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens no longer faces a felony charge stemming from an affair, but a legislative committee is pushing forward with its own investigation into the Republican governor.
On Tuesday, a House investigatory committee decided to call Greitens policy director Will Scharf as a witness. The panel wants to ask him about a memo he wrote in July 2016 about an apparent plan to funnel money to Greitens’ campaign from anonymous donors.
At the time, Scharf was working for Catherine Hanaway, a rival in the Republican primary who now is an attorney for Greitens’ campaign.
The panel also released a document Tuesday showing Greitens’ political aides had discussed setting up a fundraising committee as soon as December 2014, two months before Greitens actually did so.
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12 a.m.
Attorneys for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens say the felony invasion-of-privacy case against him was crumbling under a lack of evidence and they doubt any charge will be refiled.
But the St. Louis circuit attorney’s office says it still plans to pursue the case, either through a special prosecutor or an appointed assistant.
Prosecutors alleged Greitens took a revealing photo of a woman with whom he has acknowledged having an affair. They dropped the charge Monday.
The Republican still faces other problems. Missouri’s Republican legislative leaders say they still will convene Friday in a monthlong special session to consider whether to impeach Greitens.
Greitens also remains charged with a felony in St. Louis for allegedly disclosing a donor list from a veterans’ charity he founded for use in his political campaign.
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