The Missouri Supreme Court on Friday affirmed a lower court’s ruling that ordered St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner to turn over more than two years’ worth of communication records with billionaire Democrat megadonor George Soros.
Just the News editor John Solomon filed a public records request under Missouri law in 2019 seeking communications records between Gardner’s office and Soros, the Soros Fund Management, and Soros’ Open Society Foundation in connection with Gardner’s prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (R) in 2018.
The public records request sought “all calendar entries, phone messages, text messages, emails, encrypted app chats, letter correspondence[,] and long-distance toll records” Gardner made from January 6, 2017, through July 3, 2019.
In addition to Soros and his groups, the request sought communications records between Gardner and the Missouri Workforce Housing Association, two state representatives, and several other individuals and groups.
Gardner failed to comply with Solomon’s initial request, which forced Solomon to take his fight through the judiciary. Solomon’s lawsuit alleged that Gardner’s refusal was a purposeful violation of the law and sought the release of the records, civil penalties, and attorneys’ fees, according to Just the News.
The state supreme court did not hear Gardner’s final appeal on Thursday and ordered Gardner on Friday to produce the requested records within 30 days. Southeastern Legal Foundation, who worked with Solomon on litigation stemming from this public records request, called the court’s order “a great day for public transparency.”
“We have been fighting alongside John Solomon for nearly three years to obtain public records showing Kimberly Gardner’s communications with liberal megadonor George Soros,” Southeastern Legal Foundation general counsel Kimberly Hermann said. “Gardner has exhausted her appeals and our legal win is now final. We look forward to receiving all of the records and releasing them to the public.”
Friday’s order comes just days before Gardner is scheduled to have a disciplinary hearing, after Missouri Chief Disciplinary Counsel Alan Pratzel accused her of professional misconduct and concealing evidence in her investigation into Greitens. Gardner could potentially lose her license to practice law in Missouri if the ethics violations charges are sustained at Monday’s hearing.
Gardner launched a politically charged investigation into Greitens in 2018 after the former governor was accused of having an affair and blackmailing the woman with compromising photos while in office. Instead of having the St. Louis Police Department investigate these allegations, Gardner hired former FBI agent William Tisaby to conduct the investigation.
Last month, Tisaby pled guilty to evidence tampering and was sentenced to probation after facing six felony counts of perjury and one count of evidence tampering in connection with the Greitens investigation.
Gardner dropped an invasion of privacy charge against Greitens after a judge determined she would have to testify under oath as part of the case.
Greitens was forced to resign as governor during Gardner’s investigation and announced March of 2021 he would run for the U.S. Senate in 2022.
After the court’s order on Friday, Florida congressman Matt Gaetz said, “It really seems like a lot of evil, powerful forces are trying to keep Eric Greitens out of the Senate.”
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