A Missouri Republican who won his state House primary by just a few dozen votes is now facing federal charges that he tried to plant cocaine and Adderall on his opponent before Election Day.
Thomas Ross, 37, of Joplin, was charged Wednesday with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance, prosecutors announced Thursday. The former campaign manager told authorities that Ross handed him a black nylon glove containing the drugs and instructed him to stash it in rival candidate Louise Secker’s purse or vehicle in the weeks before the Aug. 4 primary.
Ross was on vacation when he made the request, according to a probable cause statement signed by an FBI agent. Tests later confirmed the substances were cocaine and Adderall.
The campaign manager said Ross sent frequent messages about “the substance,” telling him that he hoped “that we could make it happen” before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting at a Joplin restaurant in June. The drug-planting plot would be an “extreme egg in the face,” Ross said, according to the FBI document.
Ross went on to narrowly defeat Secker in the contest to replace outgoing state Rep. Lane Roberts in the 161st House District.
Missouri GOP Chairman Peter Kinder called on Ross to withdraw his bid, describing the allegations surrounding his arrest as “serious” and “deeply troubling.”
R. Matthew Price, US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, addressed the charges in a statement Thursday.
“Candidates are expected to conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents, allowing voters to make informed decisions without fear of misinformation or undue influence,” Price said.
He added that “the American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations.”
Ross’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the outlet.