The Missouri Ethics Commission on Thursday dismissed a complaint filed against former Governor Eric Greitens by a federal watchdog last year.
Executive Director Elizabeth Ziegler written in the decision of the commission that Greitens’ state campaign account did not violate state law. The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center filed the complaint with the commission in December, alleging the account spent money on his U.S. Senate campaign, which allegedly violated an earlier agreement between Greitens and the commission.
The state campaign committee, Greitens for Missouri, had “no obligation … to report an in-kind contribution made to” Greitens for Senate, the former governor’s Senate campaign account, Ziegler wrote. . The contribution is tied to the license of Greitens’ campaign website, which changed hands between the committees at the end of March 2021.
The commission’s investigation also “did not find evidence” that other payments from the state account to a “strategic planning” firm were unrelated to his U.S. Senate campaign.
Continued:Eric Greitens’ alleged campaign finance violation broke Missouri law, watchdog says
He also found that a payment for “media services” that the watchdog alleged was tied to his appearance on Fox News launching his Senate campaign was not used for that purpose. Although the payment was not initially reported as an independent contract by the campaign, an amended report submitted Wednesday did, Ziegler wrote.
“It was clear from the start that no wrongdoing ever took place,” Greitens campaign manager Dylan Johnson said in a statement. “The truth has come out today and Governor Greitens has once again defeated the woke radical liberals, the RINOs and the weak political establishment.”
Campaign Law Center filed a separate complaint last year, including similar allegations, with the Federal Election Commission. The Missouri commission has already fined Greitens’ state campaign $178,000; $30,000 was paid immediately and the rest is expected to be paid if another violation is discovered.
Continued:Roy Blunt says he’ll back Republican nominee to replace him, weighs in on state of MO politics
Greitens, who resigned in 2018 after facing allegations of blackmail and sexual assault and having his campaign spending investigated by lawmakers, is running in a crowded Republican field to succeed U.S. Senator Roy Blunt. His main opponents are Attorney General Eric Schmitt, U.S. Representatives Vicky Hartzler and Billy Long, Mark McCloskey and Senate Pro Tem Chairman Dave Schatz.
Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics and government for The News-Leader. Contact him at [email protected](573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.