St. Louis's top prosecutor resigns amid scrutiny
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced Thursday that she will step down from her position June 1 after facing criticism from Missouri lawmakers over the last few weeks.
Gardner sent Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (R) a letter Thursday notifying him of her resignation, weeks after critics began calling for her to step down. Missouri lawmakers recently introduced a bill that would strip away most of her power, a move that Gardner called a strategy to to "undermine" her efforts to create a "safer and fairer" city.
She pointed to the recent bill as a reason for her to step down, saying that it would also "permanently remove the right of every St. Louis voter to elect their Circuit Attorney."
"I want to start by saying it has been an honor of a lifetime to serve the people of the City of St. Louis, a community that is resilient and deeply committed to finding solutions to make life better for everyone," Gardner wrote. "During my time as Circuit Attorney, I have tried to embody those values. I believe that is why St. Louis voters elected me twice."
"Unfortunately, since the time I took office, as the first Black, female prosecutor in the State, people outside of the city have targeted me and, to advance their goals, have also targeted the fundamental rights of the city's voters," she added.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Gardner faced scrutiny as massive staff departures plagued her office over the last few years, and recently she has faced pushback as a St. Louis judge found evidence that she could be held in contempt of court after not showing up to court appearances. Gardner did not mention these incidents as reasons for her departure in her letter Thursday.
Parson released a statement on Twitter saying that his office received notice of Gardner's resignation, vowing to "immediately" start her replacement process.
"We are committed to finding a candidate who represents the community, values public safety, and can help restore faith in the City's criminal justice system," he said in a statement.