JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 The chairwoman of a House committee that investigated potential ethics violations against Speaker Dean Plocher might be the subject of a complaint herself.
Rep. Hannah Kelly, a Mountain View Republican who became a target of the speaker鈥檚 camp during the eight-month probe, has been temporarily replaced as the chair of the House Ethics Committee.
Kelly wouldn鈥檛 comment Thursday in keeping with rules that require confidentiality in matters taken up by the 10-member bipartisan panel.
But, a series of moves Wednesday signal that Kelly鈥檚 role in releasing information showing that Plocher may have obstructed the committee鈥檚 investigation now may be in the crosshairs.
In a letter to the House clerk, Speaker Pro Tem Mike Henderson, a Desloge Republican who serves as a Plocher lieutenant in House leadership, replaced Kelly as chairman with Rep. Rick Francis, R-Perryville.
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The move was made at Kelly鈥檚 request.
Henderson also appointed temporary member Mike McGirl, R-Potosi, to a permanent seat on the committee.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Paula Brown of Hazelwood was replaced with Rep. Yolanda Young, D-Kansas City.
Meantime, the Ethics Committee is scheduled to convene for a 4:30 p.m. Monday closed-door meeting.
The maneuvering came just two days after Plocher claimed he was exonerated after the committee voted to dismiss the complaint filed against him last year.
The inquiry by the committee began last year after Plocher allegedly attempted to steer an $800,000 software contract for the House around the standard bidding process and then repaid a series of travel bills that he had charged to taxpayers.
In March, after months of secret deliberations, the committee voted down a report calling for Plocher to be reprimanded. But in doing so, Kelly released additional information showing Plocher鈥檚 camp had tried to obstruct the investigation.
Among examples cited in the report: On three occasions in March and April, Plocher refused to sign off on subpoena requests by the committee.
Kelly also accused Plocher of threatening witnesses and creating a 鈥渃ulture of fear and retaliation.鈥
Plocher has repeatedly refused to answer whether he was planning to replace Kelly as chairwoman, instead saying he was accused of a series of 鈥渇alse allegations鈥 leveled against him.
The Des Peres Republican, who is term limited and is running for secretary of state, compared himself to former President Donald Trump, who has faced a litany of legal problems as he seeks a second term in the White House.
Some members of the committee also raised questions about Kelly鈥檚 release of some information about the Plocher probe.
On Monday, Rep. John Black, R-Marshfield, said he voted to strike the obstruction language and block Kelly鈥檚 reading of an email about the case based on House rules.
鈥淭he rules of the Ethics Committee require confidentiality,鈥 Black said afterward. 鈥淪he just sees her duty to the people differently than I do.鈥
In a statement released Monday, Kelly said the investigation was 鈥渟tacked against transparency and freedom from undue influence.鈥
鈥淲e owe a debt of transparency to the people we were sent here to serve, but it became clear very early on in this process that the Speaker鈥檚 Office and some members of this committee did not want most of what we learned to ever see the light of day,鈥 Kelly wrote.
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