Eric Robert Greitens (
/ˈɡraɪtənz/;
[1] born April 10, 1974) is an American politician, author, and former
Navy SEAL who was the
56 the governor of Missouri from January 2017 until his resignation in June 2018 amid allegations of
sexual assault and
campaign finance impropriety.
[2][3] Greitens made a campaign ad that literally, not metaphorically, advocates killing Republicans who are not sufficiently pro-Trump.
[4]
...
Affair and invasion of privacy charge[edit]
On January 10, 2018, ahead of an investigative report released by St. Louis
CBS affiliate
KMOV the same evening, Greitens publicly disclosed that he had engaged in an extramarital affair with his hairstylist in 2015.
[177] He and his wife issued a joint statement in which he acknowledged the affair, called it "a deeply personal mistake", and said that "we dealt with this together honestly and privately."
[178]
KMOV played a recording made by the hairstylist's then-husband in which she said that Greitens had invited her to his home, where she consented to having her hands taped to exercise rings above her head while she was undressed, after which she was blindfolded. In the recording, the hairstylist added that while she was blindfolded, Greitens took pictures of her without her consent and threatened to share them if she ever went public with the affair.
[179] She alleges Greitens told her: "You're not going to mention my name. Don't even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I'm going to take these pictures, and I'm going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere, and then everyone will know what a little whore you are."
[180] The woman tried to leave, but reported to a Special Investigative Committee on Oversight of the Missouri House of Representatives that Greitens pulled her into a "bear hug", "so that she was now lying on the basement floor, crying."
[180] She further testified that Greitens then coerced her into performing
oral sex on him, after which he permitted her to leave. The woman also testified to the committee that in a later encounter Greitens slapped her and that, in their final encounter, he "smacked [her] and grabbed [her] and shoved [her] down on the ground."
[181]
Greitens denied the
blackmail accusation.
[179] After initially not commenting on the question, his attorney appeared to deny that any pictures were taken; in an email, he wrote, "No violence. No picture taken. No threat of blackmail."
[177][182] Greitens also denied taking any such photos.
[183]
After Attorney General
Josh Hawley's office said in a statement that it did not have jurisdiction to look into the matter, the
circuit attorney for the City of St. Louis opened an investigation into the blackmail allegations.
[184][185]
On January 20, 2018,
CNN reported that two unnamed sources alleged that the
FBI was investigating Greitens. Following its usual practice, the FBI did not confirm or deny the existence of an inquiry, and the sources could not confirm whether the blackmail allegations were its focus.
[186] In response, Greitens's attorney, Jim Bennett, said in an email that he and his colleagues had not seen any indication that an FBI investigation was underway. Bennett added that they saw nothing worthy of investigation, and that "Governor Greitens has not been contacted at any time by the FBI and we are not aware of any interest by the FBI."
[187]
"I have notified CNN that this story should be retracted", Bennett said. "Without getting into the details, it is sufficient to say the named source has a history of profane and aberrant behavior toward people associated with Governor Greitens dating back to last year to such a degree that Governor Greitens' press secretary had to block his calls and other members of the Missouri Republican Party staff felt threatened to the degree that senior leadership attempted to intervene with his family." The named source was former Greitens supporter Eli Karabell.
[187] On January 20, 2018, Greitens told the
Associated Press he didn't know Karabell. Greitens's spokesman, Parker Briden, said Karabell was a "serial liar" who had called Briden multiple times "acting crazy", including claiming he would donate millions to Greitens if he could meet with him.
[188]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Greitens
