St. Louis Metropolitan Police Dept. via Reuters
Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens said Tuesday he would resign as state lawmakers weighed his impeachment amid allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations.
But the governor, who said he would step down Friday, denied breaking any laws. “I have not broken any laws nor committed any offense worthy of this treatment,” he said.
The announcement came after a Cole County judge earlier Tuesday ruled that the Republican governor must comply with subpoenas from a state House committee seeking information about his campaign fund and the nonprofit called A New Missouri. Missouri lawmakers were also considering impeaching the governor in a special session.
The governor has been fighting sexual misconduct allegations since the beginning of the year stemming from an affair he had with a hairdresser before he was elected governor. He was indicted by the St. Louis Circuit Attorney, Kimberly Gardner, for invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a partially nude photo of the woman without her permission. That case was later dropped. However, a House committee report detailed allegations from the woman that the governor tied her up without her consent, took a nude photo of her and forced her to perform a sexual act on him. Greitens has denied taking such a photo or breaking any law.
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