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Drug-planting plot charged
A Missouri House candidate, Thomas Ross, 37, was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance after prosecutors said he tried to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent, Louise Secker, in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary.
“Ross allegedly replied, "If you can pull it off ... pull it off."”
The alleged scheme centers on Ross, of Joplin, instructing his former campaign manager to stash drugs in Secker’s purse or vehicle while Ross was out of state on vacation, according to court documents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Prosecutors said the former campaign manager contacted the Joplin Police Department about a “public corruption” matter and gave authorities a black nylon glove containing a small amount of white powder and a pink and white capsule, which FBI testing confirmed as cocaine and Adderall.
CBS News reported that the Justice Department said the former campaign manager was given a recording device and that Ross allegedly told him, “If you can pull it off ... pull it off.”
In Springfield, Mo., Ross made an initial court appearance Thursday, and the case was described by the Justice Department as a federal drug charge tied to the alleged attempt to sabotage Secker’s campaign.
Party leaders and prosecutors react
Missouri Republican Party chairman Peter Kinder called the accusations “serious and deeply troubling” and urged Ross to withdraw from the race, framing the arrest as a threat to the nominee’s ability to earn trust.
U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price said in a statement that voters deserve confidence in elections and that “Candidates are expected to conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents,” while prosecutors said the alleged conduct involved coded discussions and a plan to use an anonymous tip.
NBC News reported that Ross allegedly sent texts while he was in Myrtle Beach offering luck “getting the substance of the matter sorted this week” and later asked, “Any luck with the substance of the matter? I wont be gone much longer.”
The Associated Press said Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment and that the federal public defender’s office assigned to his case did not immediately reply about how he plans to plead.
In the same federal case, the FBI statement cited by NBC News described Ross sending numerous text messages to his campaign staffer regarding “the substance,” including a message about making it happen before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting at a Joplin restaurant in June.
Next steps and election impact
The federal charge against Ross is tied to the Republican primary outcome in Missouri’s House District 161, where he defeated Secker by 33 votes, and prosecutors said the plot was meant to occur while Ross was out of state on vacation.
“Ross was charged on Sept. 2 with a count of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance”
The Hill reported that a detention hearing has been set for Wednesday, and it also said Ross made his initial appearance Thursday in a Springfield, Mo., courtroom.
USA Today reported that Ross was charged on Sept. 2 and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the campaign manager told law enforcement to place the drugs in Secker’s purse or vehicle, with the white powder testing positive for cocaine and the capsule identified as Adderall.
Fox News said Ross faced one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Springfield, and it reported that under Missouri election law, Ross has until Sept. 8 to voluntarily withdraw his name from the November general election ballot.
As the case moves through the judicial process, Price said in a statement that his office will “continue to uphold fairness, transparency, and integrity in elections and will pursue violations of public trust when warranted,” while Kinder continued to press for Ross to step down as the Republican nominee.