Scandal-plagued Republican Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was charged with a second felony Friday night for allegedly illegally obtaining a donor list from a charity and using it for fundraising efforts in his gubernatorial campaign.
“St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner reviewed the evidence turned over to her by my office and determined that there is probable cause to file criminal charges against the Governor,” Attorney General Josh Hawley said in a statement. “The Office stands ready to assist the Circuit Attorney’s Office where appropriate and if needed. These are serious charges—and an important reminder that no one is above the law in Missouri. Like all criminal defendants, Governor Greitens is presumed innocent under the law until proven guilty.”
The computer tampering charge came after Hawley announced earlier in the week that investigators had discovered evidence that Greitens obtained the donor list from the veterans charity he ran, the Mission Continues, and sent it to his campaign.
Greitens denied any wrongdoing in a Friday night statement.
“In the seven years I ran that organization, we helped thousands of veterans, won national awards for excellence, and became one of the finest veteran’s charities in the country. Those were some of the best years of my life, and I am grateful every day for the chance to help the men and women I served with,” he said. “I stand by that work. I will have my day in court. I will clear my name.”
A grand jury previously indicted Greitens in February with an invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking a nude photo of a woman with whom he was having an affair in 2015. The governor has admitted to the affair but has denied the woman’s allegations of blackmail, violence, and sexual coercion.
Hawley, a Republican candidate for Senate, and other prominent Republicans have called for Greitens to step down as they worry that the embattled governor could weigh the entire party down. However, Greitens has refused to step aside and insists that the allegations made about him are all part of a witch hunt.
