JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley is joining in the call for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to resign.
Hawley issued a statement Wednesday night saying a special legislative committee's report contains "shocking, substantial, and corroborated evidence of wrongdoing by Governor Greitens."
Hawley is the state attorney general. He calls the Republican governor's conduct "impeachable" in his judgment. But he says the people of Missouri should not be put through an impeachment "ordeal" and the governor should step down.
The investigation began in March, soon after a criminal invasion of privacy indictment accused the governor of taking a compromising photo of the woman without her permission during a sexual encounter in 2015, before he was elected.
Hawley is running for Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill's seat.
McCaskill also issued a statement late Wednesday calling for the governor to resign.
Kansas City-area Republican Representative Kevin Corlew is renewing his call for the governor to resign. He first called for Gov. Greitens to step down after he was indicted by a grand jury.
A Missouri House committee is expanding its investigation into Republican Gov. Eric Greitens and will make recommendations about whether to pursue impeachment.
Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson said Wednesday that any recommendations on disciplinary action will come after the May 18 end of the regular legislative session. He says lawmakers will take steps to call themselves into a special session.
That means any legislative action also could come after Greitens' criminal trial on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking and transmitting a nonconsensual photo of a partially nude woman in 2015. That trial is to start May 14.
The woman testified to the House investigatory committee that Greitens was physically aggressive during an unwanted sexual encounter and threatened to distribute a photo if she spoke about it.
