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There is an old adage that goes “A bad dime always comes”. Let me focus on a Missouri prodigal son whose name keeps coming up in state politics: Eric Greitens.
Our disgraced former governor has announced his candidacy for the United States Senate to replace retiree Roy Blunt, one of the candidates among a growing number of candidates until the 2022 Republican primary elections next August.
Using Mr. Peabody’s WAYBAC machine, let’s briefly go back to when, as governor, Greitens was the subject of allegations of sexual misconduct, blackmail, and campaign finance violations. In June 2018, he resigned his governorship and many were hoping this would be the last we heard from him.
The saga continued and in 2020 Greitens was fined $ 178,000 by the Missouri Ethics Commission for two campaign finance ethics violations relating to the misuse of his campaign funds. of governor.
In March 2021, Greitens decided he would be the perfect candidate for the U.S. Senate representing the great state of Missouri. But it wasn’t long before another scandal caught up with him. The non-partisan Campaign Legal Center recently filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging that Greitens embezzled $ 100,000 in corporate campaign contributions and his governor’s campaign funds.
In summary, federal law states that money raised for a statewide office cannot be used to fund a federal campaign, and no more than $ 2,900 can be directly donated for federal elections. by a single entity. While the election for the US Senate is a statewide vote, it is for a federally elected official.
Dylan Johnson, campaign manager for Greitens, claims George Soros, the 91-year-old Democratic donor, billionaire and philanthropist, was behind the attack on the former governor.
Johnson said: “No gubernatorial campaign funds were used for the Senate campaign, and these ludicrous claims by a radical left militant group, funded by Soros and on the left, have no basis in reality.”
Since these allegations relate to a federal campaign, the Federal Election Commission can sanction or fine a campaign and a candidate for embezzlement. Unfortunately, Congress has declawed the FEC to the point where it can only give the former governor a warning letter.
Will Greitens retire from the Senate race? I doubt it, but …
The question is who former President Trump will support in the primaries. Representatives Vicki Hartzler and Billy Long, Attorney General Eric Schmitt, gunman Mark McCloskey and four other unknowns are also vying for Trump’s approval and the Senate nomination.
Even if the golden hand doesn’t hit Greitens, the old SEAL is trained to hold on.
The problem, in my opinion, is that the electorate in Missouri has very short memories and must remember the wrongdoing of Greitens. Even if he receives Trump’s approval, will he be forgiven by the Trumpers because “every friend of Trump is a friend of ours?” After all, they gave the Donald a free pass on his own alleged campaign finance violations, sexual misconduct, degradation of women, multiple adventures and marriages, and massive mismanagement of the COVID-19 pandemic. .
Yet too many believe that Trump was appointed by God to be president despite his wrongdoing, and the Missourian he supports for the Senate will become an archangel in the governance of this nation.
Greitens has already been seen with his weapons of choice in his new ads for the Senate campaign; a Gatling-style machine gun and an assault rifle, much like Saint Michael the Archangel and his sword.
OK, Democratic candidate Lucas Kunce is also seen with his assault rifle, but never fires it, in a mocking tribute to Greitens and McCloskey.
Missouri is the ‘Show-Me State’, but he’ll be curious to see if Trump’s right-wing conservative supporters push Greitens to prove his worth as a person and politician, or if they forgive him because of his political stance. on abortion and religion. freedom, and if it receives Trump’s approval?
I sure hope he doesn’t, but that leaves a cauldron of Republican politicians who have either failed to show their worth over the years or are in the running with no experience in politics.
That said, Democratic programming isn’t exactly strong with its rivals, with no statewide names. They will also need a good, solid, problem-oriented campaign not just designed to defeat Donald Trump.
Greitens and Schmitt are the only ones known statewide in the Republican race, and it will be interesting to see how the cards are dealt for the August 2022 Republican primary election.
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