Ethics Commission fines Greitens $178,000 for failing to report contributions; Greitens claims total exoneration

The idea of being caught in some kind of wrongdoing and then complaining complete vindication seems to be catching on.

The Missouri Ethics Commission today fined former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens $178,000 for violating campaign finance laws by failing to report contributions.

The Ethics Commission's ruling says that while no evidence was found that Greitens knew about the violations, he was the man in charge and was responsible.

For some reason, Greitens omitted that pa:rt from the news release he issued this afternoon, which claimed complete exoneration.








"After a 20-month investigation, the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) released an order fully exonerating former Governor Eric Greitens. They found 'no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Eric Greitens.' "

This news makes clear what many of you knew all along: in 2018 our justice system was abused. Lies were told and bribes were paid in a criminal effort to overturn the 2016 election. And now, the truth is beginning to come out.

Some of the people who made up false charges against me, have now been charged with seven felonies for what they did: they lied under oath and they tampered with evidence. And there is more to come.

Of course, this wasn’t really about me. It was an attack designed for one purpose: to overturn your votes, because we were fighting for you.

The constant harassment and vitriol, the lies—repeated and magnified, over and over again—the vicious attack on family and personal finances, affected far more than me and my family. It ripped apart a lot of lives, and put an end to a lot of the good that our team was doing.

I’ve never been a guy who likes to admit he’s hurting, but personally this past year and a half has been the hardest of my life—there have been plenty of dark days. But, as anyone who has gone through pain knows, you can emerge stronger.

In fact, the vicious, abusive, illegal political attacks, have only highlighted how compassionate, strong, and loving most regular people are. And I’m grateful to everyone who—at the grocery store, the gas station, and a hundred other places and times—came up to offer kindness. Thank you.

And I’d say to anyone who is struggling right now—who’s dealing with injustice, unfairness, or just a raw deal—hang on, keep faith, and have courage—life comes back around, and it offers a lot of joy, and purpose, and love.

I feel and I am, incredibly blessed. I’ve always tried to serve to the best of my ability, and one of the greatest blessings was the opportunity to serve you as your Governor. I’m going to continue to serve, and I look forward to walking on this journey with so many of you.

Gen 50:20 “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”. The pain that people intended for evil, we can, and will, use to become stronger.

As a final note, I think it’s important to say this: the deepest possible tragedy in all of this, would come if we let them change who we are. I am—and the people on our team have always been—optimistic and hopeful about the future. We’ve been strong in the face of evil and compassionate for those who need us.

Many people have asked about revenge. That’s not what we need. Revenge is about the past. Justice is about the future. And, I’ll tell you, the future is bright.

The accompanying video is from 41 Action News in Kansas City.