Special Session Scheduled To Consider Greitens Impeachment

JEFFERSON CITY, MO — Lawmakers in Missouri will hold a special session in two weeks to consider impeaching Gov. Eric Greitens, who has been accused of multiple felonies, including invasion of privacy and computer tampering, as well as campaign finance violations and other crimes.

Greitens was indicted in St. Louis last month on two counts of computer tampering for his unauthorized use of a charity donor list to raise money for his political campaign.

The governor was also indicted in February for invasion of privacy, after a woman accused him of taking a non-consensual, partially-naked photo and threatening to blackmail her with its release. The hair dresser has been called the governor's mistress, but testimony released by a House Special Investigative Committee last month calls into question whether their relationship was consensual.

Lawmakers have never before called such a special session on their own — they are typically called by governors to deal with emergencies. House and Senate leaders gathered signatures from three-fourths of their members do so.

“This was not a decision made lightly and certainly not without great deliberation and effort,” said Missouri House Speaker Todd Richardson.

The special session will start May 18 at 6:30 p.m., just after the end of the current session. It could end with the removal of the governor from office or other disciplinary actions.

If the House votes to impeach Greitens, the trial would go before a panel of seven judges appointed by the Senate. That seven-judge panel would decide whether to remove the governor from office.

Republican leaders in the Senate say they are already considering who to appoint to that panel and are in conversations with retired judges who may be nominated.

Dozens of lawmakers, Democrat and Republican alike, have called on the governor to resign. Greitens has said he's not going anywhere.

“Pursuing impeachment against a Missouri governor is history none of us wants to make, but Eric Greitens’ actions have made it unavoidable,” said House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty.

Greitens criminal trial will begin just a few days before the special legislative session. It is set for May 14.

The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.

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