A Republican hopeful for the Missouri state House is now dealing with federal drug charges after unsealed court documents revealed an alleged plan to frame his political rival by planting cocaine and prescription drugs in her purse.
Thomas Christopher Ross, aged 37, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Springfield. He faces a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. According to the Justice Department, Ross allegedly teamed up with his former campaign manager to plant narcotics among the belongings of his Republican opponent, Louise Secker, before the state’s August primary.
An FBI affidavit, which was unsealed, indicated that the campaign manager turned informant against Ross and wore a wire to capture him during a sting.
“The circumstances of his arrest are serious and deeply troubling,” stated Peter Kinder, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, following the news of Ross’s arrest. “Being the Republican nominee for public office entails responsibility to the voters, the community, and the principles our party upholds.”
Kinder urged Ross to withdraw from the race after Ross narrowly secured the Republican nomination for Missouri’s state House of Representatives District 161, beating Secker by a slim margin. He is now set to face Democrat Aaron Metzger in the November general election. Missouri election laws allow Ross to voluntarily remove his name from the November ballot until September 8.
Matthew Price, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, remarked in a Justice Department press release, “The American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations. Candidates must run campaigns with integrity and respect for their opponents.”
The Justice Department was alerted on July 30 by the Joplin Police Department about accusations of public corruption. Ross’s campaign manager had informed the police about the scheme to place cocaine and an Adderall pill, both Schedule II narcotics, among Secker’s possessions. The manager claimed Ross instructed him to plant these drugs, provided by Ross himself, in Secker’s belongings while Ross was out of town.
On July 31, as documented in a probable cause affidavit, the campaign staffer wore a wire during a meeting at Ross’s home. KOLR-TV reported court documents showing the manager telling Ross he still had “the bag and addies” and asking if the drugs should still be planted on Secker. Ross reportedly agreed, with numerous text messages supporting the conspiracy outlined in court.
Evidence suggests Ross and the manager discussed the plot as early as May 31, according to Kansas City’s KCUR-FM.