Missouri Republican Candidate Arrested for Drug Planting Allegations
The Missouri Republican Party is urging a state candidate to resign following his recent arrest for allegedly attempting to plant drugs on a political adversary.
Thomas Christopher Ross, aged 37, was taken into custody on Wednesday, facing a federal charge related to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
According to reports, Ross allegedly instructed his campaign manager to place cocaine and Adderall in the vehicle or bag of his primary rival, Louise Secker, who is also a Republican.
Although Ross prevailed against Secker in the Republican primary for Missouri House District 161, which encompasses Joplin, his campaign manager informed the police about the purported drug scheme.
Authorities confirmed that they tested a bag containing cocaine and an Adderall pill that the campaign manager provided, establishing their authenticity.
The campaign manager also presented police with text messages supposedly from Ross discussing the drug planting plan that dates back to May, as noted in the complaint.
In one of those texts, Ross expressed a desire to get the plan executed quickly, stating he hoped it could “happen before THIS Thursday…which would be extreme egg on the face.” This message was cited by prosecutors.
Police reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which equipped the manager with a covert recorder to gather audio evidence during a meeting with Ross on July 31.
During the encounter, Ross reportedly suggested to the manager that he could anonymously tip off law enforcement about the drugs placed in Secker’s car. He allegedly encouraged, “If you can pull it off…pull it off.”
Ross won the primary election by a margin of fewer than 35 votes and is set to face Democratic candidate Aaron Metzger in the general election, unless he complies with calls to withdraw from the race.
After being booked at the Joplin Municipal Jail, Ross has yet to reach a plea in this matter.
The chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, Peter Kinder, has called for Ross to step down, stating that the residents of Southwest Missouri deserve “leadership they can trust.”
