The Latest: Democrats attempt to tie Hawley to Greitens

The Associated Press
The Associated Press

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):

10:35 a.m.

The Missouri Democratic Party is renewing efforts to tie Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley to embattled Republican Gov. Eric Greitens.

A Friday release from the party criticizes Attorney General Hawley for not doing enough or acting too slow to check into allegations of misconduct against the governor.

Hawley’s office found no wrongdoing after investigating use of a secretive message-deleting app by governor’s office staff. Hawley also recently launched a pending investigation into The Mission Continues, which Greitens founded.

Hawley is among those who’ve called for Greitens to resign amid allegations that he slapped, grabbed and shoved a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair.

Hawley is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill. McCaskill has also called for Greitens to step down.

Hawley’s campaign spokeswoman has said McCaskill is pushing false information about his record.

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9:30 a.m.

Missouri House Democrats say they want to begin the process of impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens immediately instead of waiting until the end of the Legislature’s annual session.

Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty on Friday said Democrats will consider supporting a special session only if an investigative committee weighing impeachment begins work now and runs out of time.

Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson has said he wants lawmakers to reconvene after the regular session’s May 18 end to consider whether to impeach Greitens. The governor faces mounting calls for his resignation following allegations that he slapped, grabbed and shoved a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair in 2015, before his election.

Greitens has said he’ll continue to serve and that allegations of violence or sexual assault are false.

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11 p.m.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is using similar wording as President Donald Trump to denounce accusations of unwanted sexual aggression.

But reaction from his fellow Republicans indicates Greitens may have a more difficult time than Trump surviving politically. Allegations about Trump’s behavior were known before his election, but Greitens had cultivated a campaign persona of an all-American hero.

Greitens is a former Rhodes Scholar, Navy SEAL officer, author and motivational speaker who ran for office on a pledge to clean up corruption.

A report released by a legislative committee investigating Greitens detailed testimony from a woman who said Greitens slapped, grabbed, shoved and threatened her during unwanted sexual encounters.

Greitens denies any violence or criminal wrongdoing in what he insists was a consensual relationship with the woman before he became governor.

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