I am deeply troubled by the recent revelation of the Governor’s relationship outside of his marriage. I have taken a couple of days to reflect and process the true magnitude and effects of this unethical behavior. The official statement from the Governor’s attorney describes this as a personal matter that happened almost three years ago and should be left alone for Mr. & Mrs. Greitens and God to work through. I regret to say that this is short sighted and simply untrue.
The campaign committee “Greitens for Missouri” was established on February 24th, 2015. The affair has been reported to have commenced in March of 2015. Private citizen Eric Greitens did not engage in an affair with another married person; Candidate for Governor Eric Greitens had the affair. Throughout the campaign we heard of his work to help children, his military service, and efforts to support our veterans as they return to the private work force. But most importantly Candidate Greitens campaigned on being a man of moral character and family values while to politicians in Jefferson City were corrupt.
During a campaign all we can give our voters is faith that what we say and the way we portray ourselves is true. As a citizen of Missouri, I feel deceived. As an elected official I am appalled. The actions of one reflects on the actions of everyone. Having sexual relations with another person outside of marriage is a conscious choice. It does not matter if ANY of the allegations beyond the affair that has been confessed is true. Our constituents rely on us to make responsible choices. Many may not agree with our choices, but they at least know we are making those choices in a deliberate manor.
Right now the Missouri Government should be focused on creating an environment where our businesses can thrive and grow an enable them to employ more Missourians and offer better pay. We should be focused on ensuring all children are receiving the best education available regardless of what neighborhood they live in or their parents income level. We should prioritize our elderly and our foster children. We should be looking at stopping our growing crime problem and passing bills like HB1804 that will provide a path to investigate neighborhoods that may be contaminated with radioactive waste. However our citizens are at risk when the focus is taken away from passing solid legislation because of a scandal at the top of our government. Mr. Governor, if you care so deeply for the State of Missouri then you need to make the right choice this time. The only way our state can heal and move on is for you to immediately resign. I will not give you a free pass because we both have an R next to our names.