JEFFERSON CITY — The speaker of the Missouri House said Thursday he is “absolutely not” going to resign over filing false expense reports for the past five years.
Dean Plocher
In an interview on “This Week in Missouri Politics,” a state politics podcast, Rep. Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, dismissed calls by fellow Republicans that he step down.
“I look forward to leading the House to produce good conservative legislation such as property tax cuts, personal property tax reform,” Plocher said. “There’s a lot of good things to do.”
Plocher, who is running for lieutenant governor in the 2024 election, used campaign money to pay for conferences, flights and hotels and then asked to be reimbursed for some of those costs by the House. Last week, amid inquiries from the Post-Dispatch and the Missouri Independent, Plocher began the process of paying back nearly $4,000.
On the Thursday podcast, he defended his actions but also called the situation “embarrassing.”
“We found the errors. We made the reimbursements. I think that’s the honest correct thing to do,” Plocher said. “I caught it and I’m grateful that I caught it. I own it. The buck has to stop with me.”
The speaker, who is elected by members of the House to preside over the chamber, has faced calls by his GOP counterparts to resign.
Freshmen Rep. Mazzie Boyd, R-Hamilton, said she’s lost confidence that Plocher can lead effectively.
“I believe he needs to devote his time to clearing his name and serving his district, and he cannot do all that while remaining Speaker of the House. That is why I am calling on him to resign as Speaker,” said Boyd, who worked in the Trump administration and for the former president’s campaign operation.
“I believe we need a new leader with integrity, to help House Republicans move this state forward,” Boyd said in a statement.
Other Republican House members calling for Plocher’s ouster include Reps. Doug Richey of Excelsior Springs and Chris Sander of Lone Jack.
Others who’ve joined the anti-Plocher chorus include Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, who is running for governor. Former Sen. Bob Onder, R-Lake Saint Louis, signaled Wednesday he is planning to run for lieutenant governor against Plocher.
Some in the House are backing Plocher.
“I encourage fellow Republicans, many of whom are publicly speaking against Dean, to let the process play out as it will, and stop trying to take advantage of another’s plight for political gain,” Rep. Brian Seitz, R-Branson, said in a statement posted on social media.
Plocher faces another potentially significant hurdle Friday when members of the House Ethics Committee meet behind closed doors to discuss a “personnel inquiry” related to Plocher’s firing of his chief of staff, Kenny Ross.
Ross, who served three previous speakers, vacated his office after Plocher was questioned over his attempt to muscle an $800,000 software purchase through the House without going through the normal bidding process.
House administrators opposed the purchase and a committee of lawmakers voted against buying the software.
Plocher said Ross’ firing was not in response to the dust-up over the purchase, but part of a long-range reorganization of his operation.
“This has been in ongoing discussion within my office on how I was going to handle it,” he said.
Plocher also declined to comment on the Ethics Committee meeting.
“The Ethics Committee was appointed. They have a duty they have a job. I trust that they take it seriously and I trust that they’re going to come to the conclusions that they come with in the proper way,” Plocher said. “I do not want to get involved in this.”
The committee investigates complaints of ethical misconduct by members of the House.
The harshest punishment the panel can recommend is the expulsion of a member. They also can issue lesser sanctions.
Newly elected Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, addresses the chamber to outline legislative goals for the 2023 session.
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