A Missouri House candidate appeared in court on Thursday after allegedly attempting to frame his Republican primary opponent by planting cocaine and Adderall on her during the latter stages of their election race.
Thomas Ross, 37, is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, according to The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
He’s accused of asking a campaign staffer to plant a small amount of cocaine and Adderall on his opponent, Louise Secker, in the weeks leading up to the August 4 primary, in which the aide said Ross supplied him with a black nylon glove with a small bag of white powder inside it, according to the district attorney’s office.
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Ross beat Secker for Republican candidacy in the 161st district of the Missouri House of Representatives by just 33 votes in August.
The glove also contained a capsule, which was identified as Adderall, a controlled substance often prescribed to treat the symptoms of ADHD and narcolepsy.
The campaign manager alerted local law enforcement in Joplin, Missouri, to the plan — which was reportedly never carried out — through “an anonymous tip” that Secker had drugs in her possession, Reuters reported. Joplin police then turned the case over to the FBI.
The aide told investigators that he and Ross had a text conversation in which Ross requested that he place the bag of drugs inside the purse or car of Secker while Ross was on vacation out of state.
An FBI statement, viewed by the Associated Press and Reuters, said Ross sent several texts to his campaign staffer about “the substance.”
In one, Ross allegedly said he hoped “that we could make it happen” before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting at a Missouri restaurant in June, “which would be extreme egg on the face,” according to the FBI document, the Associated Press said.
Global News has not independently reviewed the FBI document.
Missouri’s Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, urged Ross to drop out of the race, describing the allegations against him as “serious and deeply troubling.”
Missouri U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price said, “The American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations.”
“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,” he added.
“The Western District of Missouri will continue to uphold fairness, transparency, and integrity in elections and will pursue violations of public trust when warranted,” Price continued.
The FBI is also investigating. Special Agent in Charge at the Kansas City Field Office Chris Ormerod called the alleged incident “substantial and serious.”
“Our citizens deserve to know that the election process is done with transparency and fairness. As this case moves through the judicial process, it’s important that it proceeds fairly, impartially and in accordance with the rule of law,” Ormerod added.
If convicted, Ross could face a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
—with files from the Associated Press
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