Judge sanctions prosecutors in Greitens criminal case
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis judge on Thursday rejected a request from Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to dismiss a felony criminal indictment against him, but sanctioned prosecutors for failing to turn over evidence as soon as they should have.
Greitens was indicted in February on a charge of invasion of privacy. He’s accused of taking and transmitting a nonconsensual photo of a partially nude woman with whom he had an affair in 2015, before he was elected. Greitens has admitted to what he says was an “entirely consensual” affair and has denied criminal wrongdoing.
Attorneys for Greitens say a private investigator hired by the prosecutor has repeatedly lied to the court. They also allege that Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner knew he lied, and that her office has withheld evidence from the defence.
Circuit Judge Rex Burlison’s sanctions allow the defence to retake depositions with the woman who is at the centre of the case and with the private investigator. Both are expected next week, said Susan Ryan, a spokeswoman for the circuit attorney’s office.