Former Missouri governor Greitens seeks open Senate seat

[March 23, 2021]  WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Eric Greitens, the Republican former Missouri governor who resigned in 2018 as he faced impeachment, said on Monday he will be running for the state's open Senate seat.

"I have been so encouraged by the people of Missouri that I'm happy to announce tonight that I am running for the United States Senate to continue serving the people of Missouri," Greitens said in an interview with Fox News Channel.

Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, also a Republican, said earlier this month that he would not be seeking reelection for the seat, becoming the latest Republican senator to opt for retirement.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL commando, was accused of taking a picture of a woman with whom he was engaged in an extramarital affair in a state of undress without her consent and making it accessible to use as retaliation if she divulged their relationship.

Greitens was also accused of computer tampering stemming from fundraising activities.

Greitens admitted to the affair, which he called consensual, but denied the other charges.

A Missouri special prosecutor said she would not bring charges against Greitens, while St. Louis prosecutors dropped the charge of computer tampering.
 

In the Fox News interview, Greitens dismissed questions about the scandals and said he was "moving forward."

Greitens' Senate campaign website details his military background and his work during his two-year tenure as governor. His campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Josh Hawley, Missouri's former attorney general and currently its other senator, was among the state's Republican officials who denounced Greitens at the time, saying  in a news conference that Greitens may have committed a felony.

(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Stephen Coates)

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