A Republican candidate running for the Missouri House is now reportedly facing serious federal charges after prosecutors allege he schemed to plant drugs, including cocaine, on his own primary opponent in a stunning attempt to sabotage her campaign ahead of the August election.
Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, appeared in a Springfield, Missouri courtroom Thursday for his initial court appearance. He now faces a federal charge of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance. A detention hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, according to court records.
Federal prosecutors say Ross asked a former member of his own campaign team to plant a bag of drugs inside the purse or vehicle of his Republican primary rival, Louise Secker. The allegation comes from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
According to investigators, the former campaign manager told officers with the Joplin Police Department that Ross had handed him a black nylon glove containing a small plastic bag of white powder along with a pink and white capsule. Those substances were later identified as cocaine and Adderall, respectively.
Authorities say Ross laid out his alleged scheme through text messages, instructing the former staffer to plant the drugs while Ross himself was conveniently “out of state on vacation.” The case was ultimately handed over to the FBI for further investigation.
U.S. Attorney Matthew Price did not hold back in condemning the alleged conduct, declaring that Ross had betrayed the public’s trust. “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,” Price said in a statement.
The allegations are especially striking given how close the primary race actually was. Ross narrowly defeated Secker in the Republican primary for Missouri House District 161, which covers Joplin and the surrounding area, by a razor-thin margin of just 33 votes.
The fallout within the Missouri Republican Party has been swift. Peter Kinder, chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, has publicly called on Ross to “immediately” step aside and withdraw from the upcoming general election.
“Being the Republican nominee for public office carries with it a responsibility to the voters, the community, and the principles our party represents,” Kinder said in a statement issued Wednesday. He added that voters in the district “deserve a nominee who can devote his full attention to earning their trust and representing their interests in Jefferson City.”
As the case moves forward, it remains to be seen whether Ross will heed calls from his own party to exit the race, or whether he will attempt to remain on the ballot despite the serious federal charges now hanging over his campaign. The scandal has thrown the race for Missouri’s 161st House District into turmoil just months before voters head to the polls in the general election.
