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Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft today announced the findings of an investigation done by his office relating to claims of misconduct involving the Monroe County Clerk.
After complaints were received and the findings verified, a statement of probable cause was sent to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office. County Clerk La Jeana Peterson allegedly violated election laws by allowing a candidate to file after the March 29, 5 p.m. deadline.
“We want to support the diligence and hard work of our clerks in every way we can,” Ashcroft said. “But we also have a responsibility to the citizens of Missouri who rely on the clerks and expect them to do their work fairly and according to statute. In this case, we may have a clerk who, for whatever reason, did not follow the law.”
As Missouri’s chief election authority, Ashcroft praises the efforts of Missouri’s county clerks and the Missouri Association of County Clerks and Election Authorities, headed by association president, Shane Schoeller.
“The Missouri Association of County Clerks & Election Authorities stands for transparency, integrity, and fairness in the administration of elections,” Schoeller said. “We expect each member to conduct all their affairs with those standards as they seek to serve their constituents. We commend Secretary Ashcroft for his diligence in gathering the information and his shared commitment.”
Ashcroft emphasized the responsibility, care and knowledge required of county clerks to do their job. “I want to thank our clerks for their efforts. They work tirelessly to perform a myriad of services for the citizens of their counties,” he said. “We could not have safe, secure and accurate elections without them.”
