Missouri Gov. sends letter ordering State Legal Expense Fund not to certify payments for sued senators

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Missouri Gov. Mike Parson sent a letter to the State’s Commission of Administration urging the State Legal Expense Fund (LEF) not to certify payments on behalf of a trio of senators being sued.

Parson sent the letter to Ken Zellers and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on Monday regarding what he called “potential payments… to cover an adverse judgment against elected officials who falsely accused an American citizen of a heinous act and related it to his immigration status.”

The man who filed a defamation lawsuit is Denton Loudermill, an Olathe man who was accused of being an illegal immigrant and a shooter during the Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade rally shooting in February.

Loudermill applauded Gov. Parson after he defended the Olathe man’s defamation case when Bailey said he would represent the three Missouri Senators. Those three senators are Sens. Rick Brattin of Harrisonville, Denny Hoskins of Warrensburg and Nick Schoer of Defiance.

“I think that he’s doing the right thing by stepping up and letting them know that they’re not supposed to be doing this,” Loudermill, who is also suing Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett, told KCTV.

READ MORE: ‘He’s doing the right thing’: Loudermill applauds defense from Gov. Mike Parson

Parson’s letter to Zellers continued: “As Commissioner of Administration, you are responsible for certifying payments from the LEF. Under my authority over the Office of Administration… I implore you not to certify any payments from the LEF for ‘payment of any amount required by any final judgment rendered by a court of competent jurisdiction against’ these senators.”

Parson said Missourians shouldn’t have to pay for the attacks senators made on a private citizen.

“Missourians should not be held liable for legal expenses on judgments due to state senators falsely attacking a private citizen on social media,” Parson wrote.

Parson also said it’s his responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars fairly.

“I cannot justify money spent in this way,” he said, noting that Brattin, Hoskins and Schoer voted against authorizing expenditures from the LEF, “highlighting the fact that they also do not financially support the fund that would be responsible for covering their conduct.

“Accordingly, you shall not certify any payments from the LEF in this instance without my approval or a court order.”

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