JEFFERSON CITY — The scandal-plagued speaker of the Missouri House Thursday stormed out of the first press conference he’s held since a scathing report was released about him obstructing an ethics investigation into his administration.
Rep. Dean Plocher, a Des Peres Republican, told reporters he would only discuss legislative matters and not the results of the seven-month investigation that has hovered over his final year as speaker.
Following opening remarks about the passage of a major education bill, the first question asked of Plocher was about the probe.
“Listen fellas, this isn’t about me. This is about… 6.1 million Missourians and our children, our educational system today. Any other questions?†Plocher said.
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The next question also was about the ethics probe.
“I’m shutting this down. You guys don’t get it,†Plocher said as he retreated from the House Lounge into his adjoining suite of offices.
The ongoing silent treatment came after the bipartisan House Ethics Committee voted to reject a report Monday that called for Plocher to receive a letter of reproval for his actions in attempting to persuade House leaders to purchase a software system without going through normal bidding procedures.
While the report outlined how he also collected taxpayer reimbursements for travel costs, the panel recommended the lowest level of punishment following hours of deliberations behind closed doors.
Plocher earlier told the Post-Dispatch that he was disappointed in how long the probe took to complete.
The chairwoman of the committee, however, said Plocher was to blame for the slow pace of work.
“Rather than the Speaker recusing himself entirely from this process so the committee could do its work in an efficient manner, individuals working on his behalf delayed, obstructed, and attacked the process at every turn,†said Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain View, in a social media post.
Kelly also accused Plocher of threatening witnesses and creating a “culture of fear and retaliation.â€
“It breaks my heart to think our institution could be a place where victims will be harassed rather than protected, where whistleblowers will be vilified, and where the truth will be something that is locked in the darkness rather than brought into the light of day,†Kelly wrote.
While Kelly said the probe is complete, the speaker’s top attorney signaled Thursday that the seven-month investigation is not officially done.
General Counsel Hampton Williams, who was hired after Plocher’s previous lawyer resigned, said the investigation “remains active before the Committee until an affirmative act by the majority of committee members can dispose of the matter.â€
Plocher, who is running to be Missouri’s next secretary of state, was asked if he would replace Kelly as chairwoman in order to force the committee to comply with Williams’ interpretation, but he would not answer.
Plocher currently leads his seven Republican opponents by a wide margin in the fundraising race for the secretary of state post.
Plocher reported more than $1.3 million between his campaign account and allied political action committee; the competitor closest to his dollar amount was state Sen. Denny Hoskins, R-Warrensburg, who had nearly $255,000 on hand.
Other Republicans running include state Rep. Adam Schwadron, state Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Valentina Gomez, Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, Jamie Corley and Mike Carter.
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, a Republican from Des Peres, was the subject of a lengthy investigation by the House Ethics Committee. Th…