Missouri Governor Eric Greitens. Photo / AP file
Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, a sometimes brash outsider whose unconventional resume as a Rhodes Scholar and Navy Seal officer made him a rising star in Republican politics, abruptly announced his resignation.
The move came after a scandal involving an affair with his former hairdresser led to a broader investigation by prosecutors and state legislators.
The 44-year-old governor made the announcement nearly 17 months after taking the oath as Missouri's chief executive with a pledge to root out "corrupt career politicians." The investigations of him widened to include questions about whether he had violated the law in financing the campaign.
Greitens said his resignation would take effect on Saturday NZT.
A St Louis grand jury indicted Greitens on February 22 on one criminal count of invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a photo of the woman without her consent at his home in 2015, before he was elected governor. The charge was dismissed during jury selection, but a special prosecutor was considering whether to refile charges.
In April, the local St Louis prosecutor's office charged Greitens with another offence, alleging that he improperly used the donor list for a charity that he'd founded to raise money for his 2016 campaign.
Less than two weeks ago, the Missouri Legislature began meeting in special session to consider whether to pursue impeachment proceedings to try to oust Greitens from office.
A special House investigatory committee had subpoenaed Greitens to testify next week.
Greitens' brashness alienated some GOP legislators even before his affair became public in January.
The woman's then-husband released a secretly recorded conversation in which she described the alleged incident. The woman later told a Missouri House investigative committee that Greitens restrained, slapped, shoved and threatened her during a series of sexual encounters that at times left her crying and afraid.
Greitens said the allegations amounted to a "political witch hunt," and vowed to stay in office. But the report's release created a firestorm, with both Republicans and Democrats calling for his resignation.
His departure elevates fellow Republican Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson to the governor's office.
Embattled Gov. Eric Greitens resigns https://t.co/aApvWrU80d pic.twitter.com/TkiCmeyB3y
— St. Louis Post-Dispatch (@stltoday) May 29, 2018
Greitens' Administration was thrown into chaos the night of January 10, when a St Louis TV station aired a report about Greitens allegedly taking the compromising photo and threatening to blackmail the woman if she ever spoke of their encounter. The report aired shortly after Greitens delivered his State of the State address to lawmakers.
Greitens admitted to having an affair but denied any criminal wrongdoing. He said the criminal case was politically motivated and called St Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, a Democrat, a "reckless liberal prosecutor."
Lawmakers from both parties immediately began questioning whether Greitens could continue to lead the state in the wake of the scandal. The House authorised the legislative investigation a week after the indictment.
Missouri Attorney-General Josh Hawley also launched an inquiry into a veterans charity Greitens founded. Federal law bars 501(c)(3) charities such as The Mission Continues from intervening in political campaigns on behalf of candidates.
The Associated Press first reported in October 2016 that Greitens' campaign had obtained a list of individuals, corporations and other nonprofits that had given at least US$1000 to The Mission Continues. The AP reported that Greitens raised about US$2 million from those who had previously given significant amounts to the charity.
Hawley, a Republican running for U.S. Senate, turned evidence over to Gardner, saying April 17 that he believed Greitens had broken the law. Her office charged him with tampering with computer data for allegedly disclosing the donor list without the charity's permission.
JUST IN: Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens resigns amid ethics scrutiny and accusations of sexual misconduct. https://t.co/RsLunnQkVi pic.twitter.com/WDgIuLMP5j
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) May 29, 2018
A May 2 report from a special House investigatory committee indicated that Greitens himself received the donor list and later directed aides to work off it to raise money for his gubernatorial campaign. A former campaign aide testified that he was duped into taking the fall when the campaign tried to explain how it had received the list.
The invasion-of-privacy indictment stated that on March 21, 2015, Greitens photographed the woman and transmitted the photo "in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer."
During her testimony to the House investigative committee, the woman said Greitens invited her to his home and offered to show her "how to do a proper pull-up." The woman said she initially thought "this is going to be some sort of sexy workout." But once in his basement, Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings, blindfolded her, and started kissing and disrobing her without her consent, according to her testimony.
Then she saw a flash and heard a click, like a cellphone picture, she said. The woman testified that Greitens told her: "Don't even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I'm going to take these pictures, and I'm going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little whore you are."
Greitens, a married father of two young boys, repeatedly denied blackmailing the woman. He declined to say whether he took a photo.
- AP