The states Office of Administration made the right call in declining to pay legal bills racked up by former Gov. Eric Greitens. Missouri taxpayers should not be on the hook for the bills.
A pair of lawyers whom Greitens hired to defend him in the legal troubles that led to his resignation have billed the state more than $153,400.
Rep. Jay Barnes, the Jefferson City Republican who chaired a special House committee that investigated Greitens, recommended the state reject the invoices.
Instead of placing the burden on Missouri taxpayers, those legal fees should be borne exclusively by Eric Greitens himself, Barnes said in a letter to OA.
We commend Office of Administration Commissioner Sarah Steelman who, late last week, announced OA would not pay the bills.
It appears that the primary beneficiary of the legal services that your firm rendered was the former governor individually and that the services were not necessary for the efficient conduct of the Governors Office, she wrote in identical letters to the two attorneys.
Barnes argued the contract with the attorneys was for more than $500, so it should have been bid but wasnt, and Greitens directly benefited from the lawyers work. He also said the contract violates an executive order Greitens himself signed on the day he took office in 2017.
Kansas City lawyer Eddie Greim, who charged $340 an hour for his legal work, said the state has a clear legal duty to pay for the services of he and the other lawyer, Ross Garber, who last month told a special House committee he charged the state $320 an hour, which is half of my normal rate.
Greim said Greitens hired personal legal counsel to defend him against impeachment, and those attorneys will be paid by Greitens, not taxpayers. But he and Garber were not hired to be his personal or private counsel, he said.
Their work, he argues, wasnt for Greitens personally, but for the office of governor.
There is no question that in impeachment and other constitutionally significant proceedings, the Office itself has an interest in ensuring that impeachment is confined to the role specified by the Missouri Constitution, Greim told the News Tribune.
We agree with Steelman that the legal work was mostly to benefit Greitens, not the office of governor. But, regardless of what you believe on that point, the fact that bids were not sought is enough reason to reject payment.
Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloway, a Democrat, said she has concerns about the hiring of the attorneys by the state, and is looking into the matter. State Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican, has agreed with Barnes that Greitens illegally hired the attorneys.
Steelman made the right call on behalf of taxpayers to reject the bills. Legally, it has an out because the state didnt seek bids for the work. Ethically, its right because Greitens legal troubles were caused by his own actions.
More of our tax money shouldnt go toward cleaning up the mess.
