Analysis: Gov. Eric Greitens' first session undercut by ethics questions
JEFFERSON CITY -- Eric Greitens gave himself pretty high marks for his first legislative session as Missouri’s governor.
“We’ve won round one in this fight for the people of Missouri,” Greitens said, “and we’re ready for round two.”
The reality is more complicated.
Greitens certainly had his fair share of victories, most notably signing a right-to-work law in February, a goal Missouri Republicans had sought for decades. But he also saw his signature campaign pledge — ethics reform that included a ban on lobbyist gifts — collapse under the weight of increasing criticism of his own ethics.
He earned praise from lawmakers for being willing to engage in the legislative process, a sharp departure from his predecessor, Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon. Yet he faced frequent criticism for what some lawmakers deemed a needlessly aggressive approach, such as when he told a state senator he could see in his “beady little eyes that you’re afraid of me,” or when his political allies ran ads giving out a Republican lawmaker’s private cellphone number.
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