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The House Ethics Committee met Monday, April 15, 2024, to review a report about House Speaker Dean Plocher. Pictured in the foreground are Reps. Marlene Terry and John Black. In the back row are committee attorney Bryan Scheiderer and Rep. Hannah Kelly, the committee chair. Photo by Alyse Pfeil, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
JEFFERSON CITY — Ending an eight-month-long drama, a bipartisan panel of state lawmakers on Monday torpedoed an ethics complaint against the leader of the Missouri House.
Speaker Dean Plocher immediately claimed he was exonerated from a series of “false allegations” leveled against him, which triggered the politically charged investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
“From the outset of this investigation, I’ve maintained my innocence,” Plocher told reporters following the brief meeting.
The Des Peres Republican, who is term limited and is running for secretary of state, compared himself to former President Donald Trump, who has faced a litany of legal problems as he seeks a second term in the White House.
“I felt there was a lot of politics at play,” Plocher said. “I think I’ll reflect on this for a long time in my life.”
The inquiry by the committee began last year after Plocher allegedly attempted to steer an $800,000 software contract for the House around the standard bidding process and then repaid a series of travel bills that he had charged to taxpayers.
In March, after months of closed-door deliberations, the committee voted down a report calling for Plocher to be reprimanded. But in doing so, House Ethics Committee Chairwoman Hannah Kelly released additional information showing Plocher’s camp had tried to obstruct the investigation.
Among examples cited in the report: On three occasions in March and April, Plocher refused to sign off on subpoena requests by the committee.
Kelly also accused Plocher of threatening witnesses and creating a “culture of fear and retaliation.”
While Kelly had said she believed the matter was closed after the March vote, Plocher had sought a more robust statement of exoneration and pressured the committee to take up the issue again.
On Monday, Kelly sought to dismiss the case but wanted language included in the resolution noting that Plocher obstructed the probe.
The bipartisan, 10-member committee revolted, approving language instead that struck the obstruction claims on a 7-2 vote. The lone “yes” votes were Kelly and Vice Chairman Rep. Robert Sauls, D-Independence.
Rep. John Black, R-Marshfield, said he voted to strike the obstruction language and block Kelly’s reading of an email about the case based on House rules.
“The rules of the Ethics Committee require confidentiality,” Black said afterward. “She just sees her duty to the people differently than I do.”
Others on the panel were reluctant to discuss their decisions.
“It was the right thing to do,” said Rep. Marlene Terry, a north St. Louis County Democrat.
Kelly said she was pressing for accountability when she opened up the normally secretive panel to the public.
“I made this decision to lead this committee in open session because I believe in transparency,” Kelly said.
She expressed remorse that the inquiry had resulted in no finding against Plocher, including the later charge of obstruction.
“There are some days in this building where words do not suffice,” Kelly said.
Again echoing Trump, Plocher said the investigation was prompted by House staff who launched a failed “bureaucratic revolt” involving “false allegations.”
“We now know the bureaucrats attempted a coup,” Plocher said. “I adamantly deny that I obstructed anything. I was truly exonerated.”
The speaker would not say if he plans on ousting any additional House employees after he fired two aides last year as the scandal began brewing.
The decision came as the House and Senate entered their final three weeks of the legislative session before Plocher and others jump headlong into the 2024 election season.
“I think we’re all ready for it to be over,” said House Majority Leader Jon Patterson, R-Lee’s Summit, said earlier Monday.
According to the most recent reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Plocher leads his seven Republican opponents in the fundraising race for the secretary of state post.
Plocher reported more than $1.3 million between his campaign account and an allied political action committee; the competitor closest to his dollar amount was state Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, who had nearly $255,000 on hand.
Other Republicans running include state Rep. Adam Schwadron, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Valentina Gomez, Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, Jamie Corley and Mike Carter.
JEFFERSON CITY — Rep. Hannah Kelly, chairwoman of the House Ethics Committee, released this statement Monday night after the committee voted to dismiss an ethics complaint made against House Speaker Dean Plocher:
“It is deeply concerning that a member of our leadership has knowingly obstructed a fair and transparent process to serve their own political interests and shield themselves from the consequences of their actions. I am appalled by what I witnessed today as some of my colleagues on the House Ethics Committee decided to turn a blind eye to the obstruction, intimidation, and retaliation we uncovered during our investigation.
“We owe a debt of transparency to the people we were sent here to serve, but it became clear very early on in this process that the Speaker’s Office and some members of this committee did not want most of what we learned to ever see the light of day. As evidenced by the committee’s unwillingness to engage in meaningful public discussion and the efforts of the Speaker’s Office to control the timing and location of hearings in rooms without video or audio streaming capabilities, this process was stacked against transparency and freedom from undue influence.
“This deliberate obstruction not only undermines the principles of ethical governance but also erodes public trust in our institutions. The saying goes, ’it’s not the crime, it’s the cover-up’; the Speaker’s obstruction of the ethics investigation, coupled with his dishonesty and intimidation tactics, should concern every member of the House. The attempt to manipulate and cover up an ethics investigation reveals a troubling disregard for accountability and the rule of law. It saddens me to see members of this chamber willingly ignore shared concerns to prevent the growth of a culture of fear.
“From day one as chair of this committee, my sole motive has been to uncover the truth. When Speaker Plocher appointed me, I believed it was because he knew I would serve with honor and integrity. Despite relentless attacks from his supporters aimed at besmirching my name, I have no regrets or apologies for leading the Ethics Committee in ensuring transparency for the people of this State. I am still stunned and deeply disappointed by the repugnant behavior witnessed throughout this process. This is simply a betrayal of trust, by the Speaker, his staff, and the lobbyists fighting so hard to keep him in power for their political gain, and I am not a member of the good ol’ boys club. This matter is over. The truth is still the truth. It will stand after press conferences and egos have left the room.
“I hope that in the years to come, future legislators will stand firm in their convictions and prioritize upholding integrity and transparency in our leadership to ensure that such misconduct is not tolerated or repeated. In the meantime, I look forward to finishing my last couple of weeks in the Missouri House of Representatives. I will leave knowing that I did my best to honor truth and be a voice for those who otherwise have none.”
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, a Republican from Des Peres, is accused of falsely billing taxpayers for travel to conferences in Hawaii and elsewhere. The House Ethics Committee is also investigating allegations that he attempted to pressure House staff to hire an outside software vendor without going through proper bidding channels.
Missouri Speaker of the House Dean Plocher held a press conference on Thursday, April 18, 2024; the first press conference since an ethics committee report on his conduct. He refused to answer questions about that committee. Video provided by the House Communications Office; edited by Beth O’Malley.
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The House Ethics Committee met Monday, April 15, 2024, to review a report about House Speaker Dean Plocher. Pictured in the foreground are Reps. Marlene Terry and John Black. In the back row are committee attorney Bryan Scheiderer and Rep. Hannah Kelly, the committee chair. Photo by Alyse Pfeil, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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