The embattled speaker of the Missouri House had little to say over the weekend in his first public comments since being accused of threatening potential witnesses and other stall tactics aimed at into his alleged misconduct.
Speaker Dean Plocher sat down for an interview released on Sunday with Scott Faughn, one of his most vocal supporters and the owner of an online compendium of press releases and opinion pieces called .
Since late last year, Plocher has faced an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, as well as , over his unsuccessful push for the House to sign outside the normal bidding process; alleged threats of retaliation against nonpartisan legislative staff who raised red flags about that contract; purportedly firing a potential whistleblower; and filing years of false already paid for by his campaign.
Last Monday, a report documenting the investigation was made public that admonished Plocher for 鈥溾�� that hindered the committee鈥檚 efforts to get to the truth.
In his Sunday interview, Plocher said little about the inquiry, as every time he began answering questions about it Faughn would interrupt to lob insults at the committee and the process. Other than thanking his wife for her support as scandals swirl around him, the closest Plocher came to commenting was when he once again declared that he felt the investigation took too long.
鈥淭his committee should have resolved itself in November or December,鈥� Plocher said.
The interview appeared to be recorded Thursday, the same day after reporters asked him about the ethics committee report.
鈥淚鈥檓 shutting this down,鈥� Plocher declared after two questions. 鈥淵ou guys don鈥檛 get it.鈥�
Days before abruptly ending the press conference, the ethics committee voted to reject a report recommending a formal letter of disapproval for Plocher, that he hire an accounting professional to manage his expense reports moving forward and that he refrain from retaliation against any legislator or House employee who cooperated with the committee.
The report also suggested further review by the House into allegations of threats made against legislative employees during the course of the investigation.
State Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Mountain View Republican who was appointed last year by Plocher as chair of the ethics committee, said the speaker threatened witnesses and created a 鈥渃ulture of fear and retaliation鈥� that undermined the investigation.
Public records included in the draft report revealed that while for dragging out too long, behind the scenes the speaker was causing the delays by refusing to speak to an attorney hired to collect evidence and repeatedly refusing to sign subpoenas to compel hesitant witnesses to come forward.
The speaker wasn鈥檛 asked any questions about alleged obstruction during the interview released Sunday.
Plocher is running for the GOP nomination for Missouri secretary of state. He currently leads his seven Republican opponents by a wide margin in fundraising, with more than $1.3 million cash on hand between his campaign account and allied political action committee.
But nearly all of that was raised before the litany of scandals became public last fall that have dominated his last year as speaker of the Missouri House.
After taking in nearly $400,000 for his campaign and PAC in 2023, he raised just $15,000 this year.
This story was originally published by The Missouri Independent, part of the States Newsroom.
