SQUEEZED

St. Louis’ Top Prosecutor Resigns After Missouri AG’s Attempt to Oust Her

Democrat Kim Gardner, the city’s first Black prosecutor, said she would step down in partial response to a bill that would have stripped her of most of her powers.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced Thursday that she would resign effective June 1, amid a firestorm of Republican-led criticism regarding her track record. Gardner, a Democrat and the city’s first Black chief prosecutor, resigned in a letter addressed to Gov. Mike Parson (R), saying she was stepping down after Missouri lawmakers introduced a bill that would allow Parson to appoint a special prosecutor to handle violent crimes—a move that would strip most of Gardner’s powers away. “The most powerful weapon I have to fight back against these outsiders stealing your voices and your rights is to step back,” she wrote. In response to Gardner’s resignation, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey—who filed a lawsuit seeking her removal earlier this year—said that June wasn’t soon enough. “There is absolutely no reason for the Circuit Attorney to remain in office until June 1st,” Bailey said in a statement. We remain undeterred with our legal quest to forcibly remove her from office. Every day she remains puts the city of St. Louis in more danger.”