Gardner calls AG’s push to remove her ‘baseless’
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - On Wednesday a judge set a court date for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey to meet face-to-face.
The AG continues to build a case to pull Gardner from office over accusations she is neglecting her job and endangering public safety.
On Tuesday, during a rare public appearance, Gardner made her first comments in weeks about the case.
Gardner spoke to more than a hundred supporters for a forum about criminal justice reform.
In February, the AG filed a “quo warranto,” which can be used to try and remove an elected official from office.
Gardner called the legal action “baseless” but did not address any of the specific examples given by the AG.
“It’s foolishness, but guess what? Let’s go,” she said.
Gardner reiterated a remark she has made before, that Bailey is an unelected Attorney General.
“What is disturbing and I’m trying to figure out, who is he? I don’t even know this dude’s name,” Gardner said.
Last week in a more than 100-page long court filing, Bailey listed examples that he claims show Gardner has a pattern and practice of mismanaging her office and mishandling cases.
“I love these words incompetent, they always want to say incompetent last time I checked, I’ve got 20 years on a law license,” Gardner said.
Gardner was met with resounding cheers and applause from her supporters.
“This black woman here is going to fight,” Gardner said. “You guys are going to make me cry, I’m not trying to cry here, gangsters don’t cry.”
While Gardner didn’t hold back on stage, she wouldn’t respond when News 4 Investigates questioned her as she left.
It was a similar story last month when Gardner held a news conference to defend her job, and supporters overpowered the event.
“We answer the question for her and we are behind her 100 percent,” a supporter could be heard yelling after a reporter questioned Gardner during the February news conference.
On Tuesday, Gardner would only answer questions from her employee Redditt Hudson, the Chief Training Officer at the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
Hudson blamed the media for misrepresenting her.
Before she left, Gardner made it clear she won’t give up her job, and she plans to run for reelection.
“I’m going to run again,” Gardner said, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.
News 4 Investigates continues requesting an interview with Gardner to ask about her comments and stories News 4 has been reporting on of people claiming prosecutors made documented mistakes and they’re not getting justice.
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