Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is in the news again.
This time the Missouri Attorney General (AG), Eric Schmitt, wrote a letter to Ms. Gardner asking for a list of inmates released from City jails due to the COVID-19 emergency. Apparently, AG Schmitt is concerned that alleged violent offenders have been released and that Ms. Gardner’s office has not taken appropriate steps to stop those releases (and in some cases have consented to them) and that proper statutory protocols, like notifying victims of the release, have not been followed.
The Attorney General’s letter is included in the news report.
Ms. Gardner responded with her own letter. The upshot of her letter is that the AG is acting on misinformation and questions why she is being singled out.
My take on all of this is that the AG got wind of potentially violent offenders being released in the City — not from Farmington or Scott County or even St. Louis County. Just from the City. So the AG looked into it and saw that indeed some persons charged with violent offenses, including some with significant criminal histories, were released. Ten of them were identified in the AG letter. So, the AG wrote Ms. Gardner of what appears to be valid concerns. That’s his job.
My question is: why won’t Ms. Gardner just provide the AG with the list of people released? Why not just say, “Here, these are the persons we released, and if you have any questions or concerns let me know and we can clear it up?”
I bring this up because it seems Ms. Gardner’s default position when questioned is to (1) vehemently deny any fault, (2) bring up how she is being singled out and take offense at any suggestion of impropriety (I’m the victim here, how dare you!), and (3) at the same time refuse to cooperate with anyone questioning her.
We saw this in the Tisaby probe by the Special Prosecutor.
Why not just cooperate? Be transparent. If the Special Prosecutor wants anything, tell them that your files are open. Come look at whatever you like. I have nothing to hide. If the AG wants a list of released inmates, give them the list. Give them the evidence that you’ve been doing your job. How isn’t that to your advantage? Let them see for themselves that you’ve done nothing wrong. If you haven’t done anything wrong, act like it. Don’t expect that they’ll simply take your word for it. That’s not how credibility works.
Ms. Gardner unfortunately continues to fail to realize a simple truth: your credibility is determined by your actions, not your words.
