He crossed the line.
A Republican Missouri state representative candidate was charged Wednesday with trying to plant cocaine on his primary opponent — who he wound up beating by only a few dozen votes.
Thomas Ross, 37, allegedly handed a black glove containing narcotics to his campaign manager — instructing him to stash it on rival candidate Louise Secker’s property in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
“The American people deserve confidence in an electoral process that has served our nation for generations,” said R. Matthew Price, US Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a statement.
“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.”
Ross, of Joplin, went on to narrowly defeat Secker.
Both were vying to replace outgoing state Rep. Lane Roberts.
Ross was charged with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance.
His lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press.
Missouri GOP Chairman Peter Kinder called on Ross to withdraw his bid for the 161st House District, describing the allegations surrounding his arrest as “serious” and “deeply troubling.”
The former campaign manager told authorities that Ross gave him a nylon glove containing cocaine and Adderall, instructing him to plant it in Secker’s purse or vehicle.
Ross was on vacation when he made the request, according to a probable cause statement signed by an FBI agent.
Tests later showed that the substances tested positive for the drugs.
Ross sent his campaign manager frequent messages about “the substance,” telling him that he hoped “that we could make it happen” before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting at a Joplin restaurant in June.
The drug-planting plot would be an “extreme egg in the face” said Ross, according to the FBI document.
With Post wires
