A Republican nominee for the Missouri House faces a federal charge after unsealed records described an alleged plan to frame his primary opponent by planting narcotics among her belongings.
Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Springfield and faces one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, according to a Justice Department statement cited by Fox News.
What the DOJ and court records describe
The Justice Department said it was contacted on July 30 by the Joplin Police Department regarding public-corruption claims after Ross’s campaign manager reported a conspiracy to plant cocaine and an Adderall pill—both Schedule II narcotics—among Republican rival Louise Secker’s property ahead of the August primary.
The staffer told police Ross provided a baggie of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill and asked that they be placed in Secker’s purse or car, according to the DOJ statement reported by Fox News. The DOJ added the drugs were to be planted while Ross was out of town.
An FBI probable-cause affidavit unsealed in the case states the campaign manager then wore a wire during a July 31 encounter at Ross’s home, KOLR-TV reported via Fox News. Court records cited by the outlet indicate the staffer told Ross he still had “the bag and addies” and asked if Ross still wanted the drugs planted; Ross allegedly responded yes, and the pair exchanged numerous texts about a plan Ross suggested “would be extreme egg on the face” of Secker, according to those records.
Screenshots of text messages indicate discussions about the plot date back to May 31, Kansas City public radio station KCUR-FM reported, per Fox News.
Party pressure to step aside
Peter Kinder, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, called the circumstances “serious and deeply troubling” and urged Ross to leave the race. “Being the Republican nominee for public office carries with it a responsibility to the voters, the community and the principles our party represents. … Given the seriousness of the situation, I believe the right course of action is clear,” Kinder said, according to Fox News.
Fox News reported Ross narrowly won the GOP nomination for House District 161 over Secker earlier this month and advanced to face Democrat Aaron Metzger in November. Under Missouri law, Ross has until Sept. 8 to voluntarily withdraw from the ballot, according to the same report.
Election integrity statement from prosecutors
“The American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations,” Matthew Price, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a DOJ press release quoted by Fox News. Candidates, he added, are expected to run with “integrity, honesty and respect for their opponents.”
What’s next
Ross is charged but not convicted. Fox News Digital said it sought comment from Ross but did not hear back before publication.
