State Rep. Mike Moon wants the Missouri House of Representatives to launch an investigation to determine if Attorney General Chris Koster has committed impeachable offenses with his refusal to defend the state constitution and his questionable handling of cases that involve companies that have donated to his campaign.
Moon has drafted two resolutions calling for an investigation into Koster’s actions. The first outlines the allegation of Koster’s “willful neglect” in his duty to protect and defend the Missouri Constitution. The second details allegations that campaign contributions have influenced Attorney General Koster’s decisions.
Moon’s first resolution notes that Koster chose not to appeal a decision by Circuit Judge Dale J. Youngs that held that Missouri must recognize same-sex marriages occurring in all other states. The resolution points out that, “Koster has explicitly indicated to the media that his reason for not appealing this circuit court decision was based on his own views and not considerations of his lawful duty to defend the Constitution of Missouri by stating that ‘Missouri’s future will be one of inclusion, not exclusion.’”
“Police officers swear an oath to enforce the law, and if an officer decides not to enforce a certain law just because he disagrees with it, that is a failure to perform his duties (willful neglect). In the same sense, the attorney general deciding not to defend the constitution because he disagrees with it is unacceptable,” said Moon, R-Ash Grove, who also pointed out that he has written letters to Koster on the issue and has yet to receive a response.
Moon’s second resolution notes that news sources indicated that Koster ordered his staff to drop an investigation into the company 5-Hour Energy after being notified of the investigation by a company attorney whose law firm had donated moneys to his campaign. The resolution also points out that Koster negotiated a settlement with Pfizer, which was represented by a law firm whose attorneys had donated to Koster’s campaigns. Additionally, Koster received donations from The Simmons Firm, which received a settlement in a class action lawsuit against Republic Services months after Koster filed a lawsuit against Republic Services.
“As multiple news outlets have discovered and reported, Attorney General Koster has repeatedly taken contributions that raise red flags in regard to the decisions he has made in numerous cases,” said Moon.
Moon added, “The bottom line is that our attorney general has failed to perform his duty to defend the Missouri Constitution, and then ignored efforts by those wanting him to defend the constitution. I believe the House should act promptly to thoroughly investigate his offenses.”
Moon’s resolutions request that a House legislative committee be formed to investigate Koster’s decision to not appeal the circuit court decision and the questionable acceptance of moneys.
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