Missouri GOP Says George Soros Is Behind Governor Greitens' Indictment

The Missouri Republican Party suggested on Friday that billionaire George Soros was behind the indictment of the state’s Republican governor on felony invasion of privacy charges, stemming from a lewd picture he allegedly took of his mistress against her will.

“Kim Gardner has received more than $200,000 from George Soros groups,” a statement from the party read, referring to the St. Louis Circuit Attorney who launched an investigation into Governor Eric Greitens.

“Missourians should see this for what it is, a political hit job,” the statement continued. “We have a progressive anti-law enforcement Democrat wanting to single-handedly oust a law-and-order governor. We look forward to a bipartisan committee of legislators elected by people across Missouri to find out what’s really going on—ensuring St. Louis liberals aren’t controlling the future of our state.”

Soros is a well known, liberal-minded funder of progressive causes who has often served as a convenient boogeyman for conservatives. But the insinuation that he orchestrated Greitens’ indictment stretches the bounds of traditional conspiracy theorizing. On Thursday, Greitens, a rising GOP star, was indicted off of allegations that he had blackmailed his mistress during a consensual affair—an affair he admitted to having in 2015, prior to being elected.

Greitens has denied that any kind of threat of blackmail took place, despite the fact that the woman claimed she was photographed while blindfolded. After which, according to the woman, Greitens allegedly threatened to release the image if she mentioned the affair. She claims that Greitens later apologized and deleted the image.

Greitens was similarly defiant in a statement posted to his Facebook last night saying, “The people of Missouri deserve better than a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points.”

Individual lawmakers in the state’s legislature addressed the indictment in more grave and somber terms on Thursday.

“We will carefully examine the facts contained in the indictment and answer the question as to whether or not the governor can lead our state while a felony case moves forward,” Todd Richardson, the speaker of the House, Elijah Haahr, speaker pro tem, and Rob Vescovo, the majority floor leader, said in a statement to The New York Times.

Ryan Silvey, a former Republican state senator, also said in the report that because this indictment was reached by a grand jury, Greitens’ political future is likely in turmoil.

“I don’t see how he can effectively govern in the current situation,” Silvey told the Times. “I think that it would probably be best for the party and for the state if he were to resign.”