KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens’s legal team wants St. Louis police to investigate alleged misconduct in connection with the Circuit Attorney’s Office in the dismissed invasion of privacy case.
The governor's attorney, Ed Dowd, said in a statement they will file a police report with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department “regarding perjury committed by the lead investigator for the Circuit Attorney’s Office.”
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to 41 Action News that the governor's attorneys did meet with law enforcement Tuesday and police will open an investigation.
Dowd said William Tisaby, the lead investigator, lied about his methods and evidence he collected. He also accused the Circuit Attorney’s Office of keeping information from the defense team.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner said the call for an investigation was "theatrics" from the governor's legal team. She also claimed that attorney's with the governor's legal team came to her office on two separate occasions and threatened and insulted her staff in an attempt to get her drop the charges.
She also said claimed there is no evidence to suggest that Tisaby's actions were "illegal or materially impacted any evidence in this crime."
"This is not the first time (nor will it be the last) in American history when an elected official was under investigation and they attacked the investigation itself to redirect the focus from their client to something else," Gardner said.
Garnder's full statement can be read at the bottom of this story.
On Monday, the criminal case against Greitens involving a felony invasion of privacy charge was dismissed. Greitens was accused of taking a nude photo of a woman he admitted to having an affair with. Gardner said in a statement she decided to dismiss the case after the governor's legal team named her as a witness in the trial.
Greitens still faces a felony charge of computer data tampering. He's accused of using a donor list from a charity he founded, The Mission Continues, for political gain.
Following the statement from the defense team, St. Louis University School of Law professor John Ammann told 41 Action News that he expected the governor’s attorneys to keep fighting back.
“I would predict the defense team is not done with this type of reaction,” he explained.
With Greitens facing a looming trial over allegations he used a charity donor list for political purposes, Ammann said his defense team will likely keep trying to discredit prosecutors.
“One of the motivations for doing this is to have an impact on the impeachment proceedings as well as the second felony case,” he explained. “The defense team is going to try to blend the two and say problems with case one or problems with case two, it’s the same circuit attorney’s office.”
While prosecutors could refile charges against Greitens for the alleged incident with his mistress, Ammann expected them to put a special focus on the charity donor list case.
“If they refile, all of the same arguments are going to be made by the defense,” he explained. “The defense celebrated yesterday but they are not done by a long shot.”
Below is the full statement from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's office:
The continued theatrics from Governor Greitens and his defense team today should surprise no one.
I knew when I began investigating the Governor that his high-priced defense team would use whatever means possible to attack my team and me in court and through the media. How did I know? Twice Governor Greitens’ team of attorneys came to my office and threatened my staff and me with the continued barrage of insults and accusations if we continued to pursue charges against the Governor.
As Circuit Attorney, I am responsible for following the evidence to seek the truth, wherever it may lead. Sometimes the evidence leads us to hold public officials and powerful people accountable under the law, and that makes them uncomfortable. Often times, powerful people use whatever financial means available to stop prosecutors from seeking the truth. This is not the first time (nor will it be the last) in American history when an elected official was under investigation and they attacked the investigation itself to redirect the focus from their client to something else.
What is happening here in Missouri also mirrors what is happening on a national level. Thankfully, the elected officials in Missouri have the courage to stand up for truth and for what is right, regardless of how messy things can get.
The actions by the defense team today do not concern me. There is not one shred of evidence that any action by Mr. Tisaby was illegal or materially impacted any evidence in this crime. There is also no evidence that Mr. Tisaby was anything other than mistaken or confused during his deposition when he answered the questions improperly.
Just as Governor Greitens did not want anyone to conclude that he was guilty if he refused to take the stand during the trial, Mr. Tisaby’s reluctance to answer questions during his second deposition was merely due to the fact he had not been given the opportunity to review his previous deposition, which all witnesses are legally allowed to do.
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