State Rep. Hannah Kelly, R-Mountain View, speaks during Missouri House debate on May 13, 2022 (Tim Bommel/Missouri House Communications). The Missouri House Ethics Committee voted unanimously Thursday to dismiss a complaint filed against the Republican lawmaker who led the investigation of Speaker Dean Plocher.
State Rep. Hannah Kelly of Mountain View was appointed to lead the ethics committee by Plocher last year.
But the speaker soured on Kelly as she led the panel’s months-long investigation into Plocher’s unsuccessful push for the House to sign an $800,000 contract with a private software company outside the normal bidding process; alleged threats of retaliation against nonpartisan legislative staff who raised red flags about that contract; purported firing a potential whistleblower; and years of false expense reports for travel already paid for by his campaign.
The committee dropped its inquiry last week, after Kelly alleged it was unable to complete its work due to obstruction by Plocher — including intimidation of potential witnesses and legislative staff.
The allegations of obstruction were contained in a draft report recommending Plocher receive a letter of disapproval for his actions. That report was voted down by the committee, but it became public because Kelly did not close the hearing before the vote.
Plocher has vehemently denied any allegations of wrongdoing or obstruction.
Republican who led inquiry of Dean Plocher may be subject of new ethics complaint
Days after the investigation ended, a new ethics complaint was filed. While details of the complaint are considered confidential under House rules, it was believed to be focused on Kelly because she quickly recused herself from the committee. She was replaced as chair by Rep. Rick Francis, a Perryville Republican.
On Monday, the committee voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint. But it returned Thursday to reconsider that vote, Francis said, and ultimately voted once again to dismiss.
“We wanted to be thorough,” Francis said, “and wanted to look not only into ethics rules, but also statutes and the constitution. We wanted to get it right.”
Alongside the dismissal, which was printed in Thursday’s House Journal, the committee issued a report stating that it disagreed with Kelly’s decision to release the draft report on Plocher.
“There is no evidence that Rep. Kelly acted in bad faith,” the committee stated in the report. “Notwithstanding Chairwoman Kelly’s disagreements, it is the committee’s conclusion that the draft report should not have been distributed in a public forum without the committee’s prior approval and that this distribution violated this committee’s procedural rules.”
As the committee was admonishing Kelly, Francis appeared to potentially run afoul of its confidentiality rules in comments to a reporter on Monday.
Francis was asked Monday by a reporter from Missourinet who was the respondent in the ethics complaint. In a recording of the exchange, Francis can be heard saying “the former chair” — seemingly naming Kelly before the committee’s findings were public.
On Thursday, Francis attempted to walk back that comment, insisting to reporters that he had actually said “a former chair.” He declined to answer follow up questions seeking clarification.
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