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Eric Greitens Resigns From Republican Governors Association

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens resigned from his position with the Republican Governors Association while the Missouri Republican Party defended him.
Posted at 6:24 PM, Feb 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-23 18:24:34-05

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has now canceled his trip to the National Governors Association winter meeting and has resigned from the Republican Governors Association's executive committee. 

The RGA's executive director said in a statement Greitens told them he plans to stay in Missouri "to fight back against what his team has called a baseless charge." On Thursday, Greitens was indicted on a felony invasion of privacy charge. The indictment alleges he knowingly took a photograph of someone "in a state of full or partial nudity" without that person's knowledge or consent.

Hours later after Greitens was arrested and released on that charge, he said in a statement he "made a personal mistake" before he was governor and that he "did not commit a crime." He also called St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner a "reckless liberal prosecutor." 

The Missouri Republican Party took its comments about Gardner a step further, calling her a "progressive anti-law enforcement Democrat wanting to single-handedly oust a law-and-order governor."  

In response, Gardner's office said, "Despite the Governor's personal attacks, the Circuit Attorney believes the courtroom is the appropriate place to argue the facts, not the media."

Greitens is due back in court on March 16.  

Additional reporting from Newsy affiliate CNN.