Any talk of changes to how the Missouri House functions following allegations of staff intimidation during the investigation of Speaker Dean Plocher will have to wait until after the legislative session ends on May 17, Majority Leader Jon Patterson said Monday.
Patterson, a Lee鈥檚 Summit Republican expected to take over as speaker next year when Plocher鈥檚 final term in office expires, told reporters he鈥檚 ready to move on from the Plocher ethics inquiry that has hung over nearly the entire legislative session.
鈥淲e maintained all along, we were going to let the process play out,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淚 believe in the House. I believe in our members. I believe in the committee process. The committee spoke rather decisively, and that鈥檚 good enough for me.鈥�
Last week, the House Ethics Committee .
Plocher immediately declared himself fully exonerated, but the chair of the committee 鈥� GOP state Rep. Hannah Kelly of Mountain View 鈥� said the inquiry was undermined by obstruction from the speaker鈥檚 office.
That includes alleged intimidation of possible witnesses, Kelly said. To illustrate her point, she released a March email from Lori Hughes, director of administration for the Missouri House, detailing numerous incidents she believed were designed to intimidate nonpartisan legislative staff members.
Patterson said Monday he had not seen the letter.
鈥淎fter the session is over, we鈥檙e going to look at the rules,鈥� Patterson said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to look at how things are functioning, and we really want to make this a great place for people to come and work and serve their state.鈥�
While he says he hasn鈥檛 read Hughes鈥� letter, Patterson said he will 鈥済o talk with her, and we鈥檒l do that after session.鈥�
Patterson鈥檚 comments came hours before the ethics committee reconvened Monday evening to discuss a new complaint, this one because she recused herself from the proceeding.
The interim chair of the committee, GOP Rep. Rick Francis of Perryville, that the panel completed its work and would release its findings after speaking to the subject of the complaint. House rules indicate , the ethics committee can vote to dismiss or to proceed to a 鈥減rimary hearing鈥� where testimony can be accepted.
The dismissed Plocher investigation was focused a series of scandals that emerged last fall. The speaker was accused of pushing for the House to outside the normal bidding process; threatening retaliation against legislative staff who pushed back on that contract; ; and filing for travel already paid for by his campaign.
Last month, the ethics committee rejected a report that recommended a, 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 included a letter from a private attorney hired by the committee to collect evidence for the investigation, who wrote that she had never encountered 鈥渕ore unwilling witnesses in any investigation in my career.鈥�
鈥淭he level of fear expressed by a number of the potential witnesses,鈥� she wrote, 鈥渋s a daunting factor in completing this investigation.鈥�
The report also detailed how one witness, who was anonymous, feared their employment was at risk for testifying before the committee. Another potential witness was allegedly 鈥渉ighly encouraged鈥� not to testify by a Republican lawmaker close to the speaker.
Hughes鈥� March 5 letter to Kelly included references to 鈥�20 pages of notes I have compiled along with the numerous emails I have received from employees documenting their fear of being retaliated against or even wrongfully terminated. I feel the need to share some things that are most relevant, while attempting to protect staff that do not want me to share details.鈥�
She went on to write that in her more than 鈥�21 years of state government service, I have never witnessed or even been involved in such a hostile work environment that is so horrible that I am living in fear every day of losing my job.鈥�
鈥淚 cannot continue to idly sit by and hope that the speaker鈥檚 office will stop harassing myself and other staff members,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淚 believe wholeheartedly in my role as director of administration, I have an obligation and duty to bring these horrific actions to your attention.鈥�
Plocher has denied engaging in intimidation or obstruction, telling reporters last week: 鈥淚 adamantly deny that I obstructed anything.鈥�
鈥淎 bipartisan majority of the committee found that there was absolutely no merit in the accusations in the complaint filed against me,鈥� he said.
In an interview last week, House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, a Springfield Democrat, said Hughes鈥� allegations were 鈥渄eeply concerning.鈥�
But with less than two weeks left before the legislative session ends, and a laundry list of unfinished business 鈥� including the state budget 鈥� she didn鈥檛 see any hope of a discussion about changes or fixes taking place this year.
To see someone with 鈥�20 years of experience in human resources chronicle the intimidation, the fear and a hostile environment鈥� taking place in the statehouse was 鈥渧ery troubling and very sad,鈥� said state Rep. Deb Lavender, a Manchester Democrat.
鈥淚f anybody in this building is truly working for the people of our state, it鈥檚 our nonpartisan staff,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd to know that they were working in a hostile environment this year does not speak well of any elected officials in this building.鈥�
This story was originally published in The Missouri Independent, part of the States Newsroom.
