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JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Tuesday evening the Missouri GOP House leadership issued a statement calling on Governor Eric Greitens to resign.

The move comes as lawmakers were trying to get back to work on pending legislation and producing a balanced budget.

Attorney General Josh Hawley also heated up calls for the governor to resign today by saying there is probable cause that Greitens used a donor list from a charity he founded and used it to raise money for his 2015 gubernatorial campaign in 2015.

The House leadership released the following statement Tuesday evening:

“At the outset of this process, we said the governor needed to be forthright and accountable for his actions. After thoughtful consideration of the findings in the House committee’s report and today’s news that the Attorney General has evidence to support another felony charge, we believe the governor needs to take responsibility for his actions.

Leaders at all levels of government are entrusted with an incredible responsibility to the Missourians we represent. When leaders lose the ability to effectively lead our state, the right thing to do is step aside.  In our view, the time has come for the governor to resign.”

 

Senate President Pro Tem Ron Richard says Greitens should resign:

“For the last several months, I have been in constant contact with the speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri attorney general. We have reached a critical turning point in the allegations made against the governor. The decisions made going forward will have a significant effect on the state of Missouri. After speaking with the attorney general today, I believe the governor has no other respectable option than to resign from office.

We are past the point of concerning and alarming. Since his time in office, the governor has caused tension, conflict and hostility. The weight of his actions are being felt throughout the state. Now, these alleged illegal actions are further harmful to the people of Missouri and do not represent Missouri values. It’s time for the governor to find the courage in his heart and do what is in the best interests of the people he serves and step aside.

This is not a sentiment held lightly. Serving the people of Missouri is an extraordinary honor, one I believe requires each elected official to rise to the occasion. Sometimes that occasion is knowing when it’s time to step aside.

Because of the severity of the allegations, it is my wish that we immediately start impeachment proceedings.”

 

Governor Greitens statement to calls for his resignation:

“I will not be resigning the Governor’s office. In three weeks, this matter will go to a court of law—where it belongs and where the facts will prove my innocence. Until then, I will do what the people of Missouri sent me here to do: to serve them and work hard on their behalf.”