After months of controversy, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is calling it quits. She resigned effective June 1 as she faced a GOP effort to remove her from office.
Gardner tweeted her resignation letter to city residents today at 3:44 p.m. complaining about the Missouri Legislature’s efforts to take control of the circuit attorney’s office after the soft-on crime prosecutor made a series of disastrous mistakes.
She said: “It is not the first time the legislature has proposed bills that would take away our city’s power — that has happened in nearly every legislative session since I took office.
“It is also clear to me, however, that as long as I remain in the office, it will not be the last.
“I can absorb those attacks, and I have.
“But I can neither enable nor allow the outright disenfranchisement of the people of the City of St. Louis, nor can I allow these outsiders to effectively shut down our important work.
“But I cannot be the final Circuit Attorney ever to be elected in St. Louis.
“You must be able to have a voice in your criminal justice system. And we must allow our office to continue to operate.”
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey said:
“There is absolutely no reason for the Circuit Attorney to remain in office until June 1.
“We remain undeterred with our legal quest to forcibly remove her from office.
“Every day she remains puts the city of St. Louis in more danger.
“How many victims will there be between now and June 1? How many defendants will have their constitutional rights violated? How many cases will continue to go unprosecuted?”
— Circuit Attorney (@stlcao) May 4, 2023
CALLING IT QUITS: The embattled George Soros-backed district attorney Kim Gardner will step down after bipartisan calls for her resignation and years of criticism. https://t.co/n7myZX5HOs pic.twitter.com/VKKiHhFtV5
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 4, 2023
