Gov. Parson to Appoint New St. Louis Circuit Attorney by Friday

But questions remains about who's in charge 'til then — Wesley Bell or Andrew Bailey

May 16, 2023 at 4:28 pm

RYAN KRULL

Governor Mike Parson speaking to reporters after Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced her resignation.

In brief remarks to the media this afternoon, Governor Mike Parson said that St. Louis will have a new circuit attorney by Friday, but left it somewhat murky who is in charge of the office until then.

Parson's remarks follow St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's abrupt resignation this morning. In Gardner's announcement she said that her office was working with St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell "to ensure a comprehensive transition plan is in place" — which many people took as effectively appointing Bell to lead her office amid the transition.

But others pointed out (and Bell's own spokesman seemed to acknowledge) that it's unclear if she had the authority to do that. And it's remains, in some ways, equally unclear who is currently in charge of the office.

Parson said that the Attorney General Andrew Bailey's office will have a presence in the circuit attorney's office, though he stressed Bailey will be in "assist mode."

"We're not going in there to take over the office. That's not our job. Our job is to go in there until we make this placement," he said.

When asked if he would promise to appoint a Democrat, Parson wouldn't take the bait.

"It's not going to be a political appointee, whether Republican or Democrat. It's about who I think will go in there do the best job in the city of St. Louis.

"There's different groups up here that would like to have their person in that position," Parson continued. "But at the end of the day, it goes back to like when you're picking judges...you get the best candidate you can."

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones has stressed her belief that the best person for the job will not run to hold it in 2024. She issued a statement about her meeting today with Parson, saying in part that she'd "re-emphasized that the appointment should serve as a caretaker for the office who can make much-needed changes without the distraction of re-election politics in 2024."

But Parson didn't seem to prioritize the question. Asked if the appointee needs to promise not to run for re-election, Parson said, "That's going to be up to them."

About Gardner's appointment of Bell to handle the transition, Parson said that he had spoken to Bell last week, but the two had not been in touch since.

Parson's communications director Kelli Jones told reporters, "I don't have a whole lot of information in regards to the Wesley Bell situation today. We were not informed of any of that move."

After taking a handful of questions, Parson ended the press conference as reporters shouted questions asking who is currently in charge of the city circuit attorney's office now.

Parson's remarks were made after he spoke at ribbon cutting for a new building at St. Louis Community College's Forest Park Campus.

UPDATE: Bailey's office said in a statement late this afternoon, "I am sending Deputy Attorney General Judge Bill Corrigan and his team today to immediately start the process of clearing the backlog of cases until the Governor appoints the newest Circuit Attorney."