CLAYTON — ºüÀêÊÓƵ County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell didn’t appear at a budget hearing Tuesday afternoon where his staff were questioned about requesting new cars and doing outside legal work.
Bell couldn’t attend the budget hearing to discuss his office’s $15 million request for next year because of a family function following his birthday weekend, said Chief of Staff Sam Alton.
Bell announced last week he plans to challenge U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-ºüÀêÊÓƵ, in next year’s Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District. Republican Councilman Dennis Hancock of Fenton asked if Bell was using his time as county prosecutor to campaign.
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Andrea Harrington, deputy chief of staff for the prosecutor’s office, said Bell hasn’t and won’t use county time or resources for campaign purposes.
“When Mr. Bell goes to campaign events, he is using campaign resources. He is not using county vehicles. He is not using county personnel,†Harrington said.
Alton defended his boss.
“Wes lives and breathes the office he holds, and he’s involved in every facet of the office,†Alton said. “He’s involved in every decision beyond the handling of a failure to register or a parking ticket.â€
Alton himself faced questioning. Hancock asked Alton about his work for area municipalities outside of the prosecutor’s office.
Alton told councilmembers he serves as a prosecuting attorney for three municipalities, work that takes him less than three hours a week to do.
Councilwoman Rita Heard Days, a Democrat from Bel-Nor, questioned the prosecuting attorney’s office request for $90,000 to replace two vehicles that have more than 150,000 miles on them.
“The concern is that your cars actually cost more than our police officers’ cars. Our police officers requested vehicles as well, and theirs were nowhere near what you all were paying for your cars,†Days said.
One car will be shared by three attorneys in the office’s violent crimes unit, and the other will be shared by about 10 investigators, said Tim Swope, the prosecuting attorney’s director of operations.
The office bought two new Chevrolet Tahoes last year, one for Bell and another for Alton, Swope said. They were originally going to buy Ford Expeditions, a pricier vehicle, Swope said.
Bell announced in April he would seek the Democratic senate nomination to take Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley’s seat. The day before Halloween, Bell ended that bid and said he would run for the House seat held by Bush instead.
The 1st District includes all of ºüÀêÊÓƵ and much of North County.
Bush has represented that district since she assumed office in 2021, the first Black woman from Missouri to serve in the House of Representatives.