A Republican candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives has been charged with attempting to plant drugs on his primary opponent, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Thomas Ross, 37, is accused of handing a glove containing cocaine and Adderall to his campaign manager and instructing him to place it on rival candidate Louise Secker’s property in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary election.
Ross narrowly defeated Secker by just a few dozen votes in their contest to replace outgoing state Rep. Lane Roberts. He now faces a charge of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance.
According to a probable cause statement signed by an FBI agent, the former campaign manager told authorities that Ross, who was on vacation at the time, gave him the nylon glove with instructions to plant the drugs in Secker’s purse or vehicle. Tests later confirmed the substances were indeed cocaine and Adderall. Ross allegedly sent his campaign manager messages about "the substance," expressing hope that "we could make it happen" before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting in June.
R. Matthew Price, US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, stated that the American people deserve confidence in the electoral process and that candidates are expected to run their campaigns with integrity. He added that voters should be able to make informed decisions without fear of misinformation or undue influence.
Missouri GOP Chairman Peter Kinder has called for Ross to withdraw his bid for the 161st House District, describing the allegations as "serious" and "deeply troubling."
Ross's attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. The alleged drug-planting plot was referred to by Ross, according to the FBI document, as something that would be an "extreme egg in the face."