St Louis: Kim Gardner Failed To Report Trips Paid For By Activist Groups

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St. Louis Circuit attorney prosecuting McCloskeys failed to report trips paid for by activist groups: Report

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The St. Louis prosecutor responsible for the charges filed against Mark and Patricia McCloskey, the couple who made headlines when they brandished weapons to protect their home from protesters, reportedly failed to disclose vacations she had taken that were paid for by activist groups, as required by law.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner took several trips that she failed to disclose, including travel to Portugal, Houston, Selma, and New Haven, an investigation by KMOV4 found.

“When something isn't reported, the public has a right to ask, 'Well, why wasn't it?'” said Patrick Ishmael of the Show-Me Institute, a Missouri think tank. “Elected officials have an obligation to be transparent, and that's especially true related to their duty because the public wants to know their officials are working for the interest and not someone else’s."

Every elected official in St. Louis is required by law to disclose travel no matter if it was funded by public or private dollars. Missouri also has statewide laws that require disclosures in some cases. Gardner reportedly did not disclose any trips in 2018 or 2019 despite taking trips funded by a liberal organization called Fair and Just Prosecution, which has lauded her decision to prosecute the McCloskeys after they brandished and pointed weapons at protesters who broke into their private neighborhood last month.

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