Missouri GOP candidate planned to frame rival, FBI says

Federal prosecutors recently charged a candidate in Missouri’s state legislature race with conspiring to plant drugs on his opponent in the recent primary race. The Justice Department on Thursday alleged that Republican candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives Thomas Ross tried to plant cocaine and Adderall on his GOP primary opponent, Louise Secker. Ross won the Aug. 4 primary race against Secker with a 1% margin.

Ross is presumed innocent until proven guilty. He had not publicly responded to the charges as of noon Friday on his campaign website or social media accounts. He did not immediately respond on Friday to a request from WORLD seeking comment on the charges.

How was the scheme uncovered? The FBI contacted local Joplin, Mo., police with the corruption case after Ross’ former campaign manager came forward as a whistleblower, according to an affidavit cited by the Justice Department. Ross is accused of giving his then-campaign manager drugs and instructing him to plant the drugs on their opponent in the primary. Ross suggested slipping the drugs in the opponent’s purse or inside her vehicle while Ross vacationed out of the state, the former campaign manager claimed, according to the affidavit.

How has the Missouri GOP responded to the accusations? The state’s Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, released a Tuesday statement characterizing the charges against Ross as troubling while calling for the nominee to exit the race. The people of Southwest Missouri deserved leadership they could trust, and a candidate who upheld GOP principles, Kinder wrote.