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- FBI says Thomas Ross tried to plant cocaine and Adderall on opponent Louise Secker.
- Ross won Missouri’s Republican primary by 33 votes on Aug. 4.
- Missouri GOP chair Peter Kinder called on Ross to withdraw.
The Republican nominee for a Missouri House seat in Joplin faces federal charges for allegedly planting Adderall and cocaine on his political opponent.
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On Aug. 4, Thomas Ross prevailed over Louise Secker in the Republican primary for the House seat by a 33-vote margin.
Six days earlier, Ross’ former campaign manager alerted the Joplin Police Department that Ross was attempting to plant drugs on his opponent, according to an affidavit submitted by FBI agent Brandon Bernhardt.
The campaign manager, identified in court documents with the initials C.S., said Ross provided him with drugs and asked him to place them in Secker’s purse or vehicle. The former campaign manager gave law enforcement a nylon glove containing powder cocaine and a 20-milligram tablet of Adderall, a prescription stimulant that contains amphetamines.
The court documents include text messages from Ross to C.S., in which Ross asked him to place the drugs on Secker. Ross allegedly asked C.S to submit an anonymous tip to police that Secker possessed drugs after he planted them.
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Neither Ross nor Secker were immediately available for comment Thursday.
The U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas City is prosecuting the case and has charged Ross with one count of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance.
“Candidates are expected to conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents,” U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price, said in a statement.
The accusation has upended the race in Joplin, a safe Republican district. Peter Kinder, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, called on Ross to drop out of the race.
“Given the seriousness of this situation, I believe the right course of action is clear,” Kinder said in a statement. “I am calling on Mr. Ross to immediately withdraw his candidacy and step down as the Republican nominee for House District 161.”
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Ross has until Sept. 8 to withdraw from the race under state law.