CLC Files Complaint With Missouri Ethics Commission Against Former Governor Eric Greitens

Eric Greitens, the former Governor of Missouri now running for U.S. Senate, illegally spent more than $100,000 from his gubernatorial campaign amid efforts to launch his Senate campaign — violating a consent order between his gubernatorial campaign and the Missouri ethics commission.

Washington, D.C. - Today, Campaign Legal Center (CLC) filed a complaint with the Missouri Ethics Commission alleging that Eric Greitens’s gubernatorial campaign committee, Greitens for Missouri, violated state campaign finance law. By doing so, Greitens for Missouri also violated a February 2020 consent decree with the Commission in which it agreed to not commit further campaign finance violations for two years.

This action follows an October 28th complaint from CLC with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) alleging that Greitens violated federal campaign finance law by illegally spending Missouri state campaign funds on his run for U.S. Senate. However, by failing to properly report those transactions on reports filed with the Missouri Ethics Commission, Greitens for Missouri also violated state campaign finance law, as well as the 2020 consent order with the Commission.

“It violated both state and federal law for Greitens to spend $100,000 in gubernatorial campaign funds on his U.S. Senate race without proper disclosure,” said Brendan Fischer, director of federal reform for Campaign Legal Center. “Missouri voters have a right to know where the money being spent to influence their votes is coming from.”

Under Missouri law, a state-level committee must file periodic reports that disclose the date and amount of all contributions to other committees, including those controlled by the same candidate. By spending money on Greitens’ U.S. Senate race, Greitens’ gubernatorial campaign made contributions to Greitens for U.S. Senate but violated Missouri law by failing to disclose those donations.

If the Commission finds probable cause to believe that Greitens for Missouri has violated Missouri campaign finance law, then pursuant to a 2020 Consent Order between the Commission and the committee, Greitens for Missouri may be required to pay the remaining $140,087 fine associated with its prior violations.

Like all Americans, Missouri voters have a right to a political process that is both fair and transparent — by illegally transferring funds and misstating their source, Mr. Greitens has taken steps to ensure it is neither. Real transparency about who is spending on elections means more government accountability and less political corruption. The Missouri Ethics Commission needs to take action against Eric Greitens and his campaigns for this blatantly illegal spending.  

At Campaign Legal Center, we are advancing democracy through law. Learn more about our work.