Republican Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens is facing disturbing new allegations in a report released Wednesday by the state House committee charged with investigating him.
A female witness, whose name was not released, told the committee under oath that Greitens had coerced her into performing sex acts and blackmailed her with photos taken while she was tied up and blindfolded.
According to CNN, the report went into much more graphic detail about the woman’s allegations.
“You’re not going to mention my name. Don’t even mention my name to anybody at all, because if you do, I’m going to take these pictures, and I’m going to put them everywhere I can. They are going to be everywhere,” he said, according to her testimony, “and then everyone will know what a little whore you are.” The governor previously denied that he had ever blackmailed or threatened the woman.The woman testified that during their first sexual encounter, Greitens held his penis near her face as she was “uncontrollably crying.” She said she felt coerced into oral sex, and agreed with the statement that she “didn’t feel necessarily able to leave without performing oral sex” and feared for her “physical self.”
She also alleged that Greitens, on a separate occasion, had slapped her when he learned that she had been sexually active with someone else.
Greitens has called the allegations “tabloid trash.”
Although he has admitted to having an affair, he denied ever participating in the alleged blackmail. He also referred to the investigation as “a political witch hunt,” saying prior to the release of the committee’s report that he “fully expected” the report to be lies and falsehoods. Critics have pointed out that the investigative committee was bi-partisan, but it was created by and run by Republicans.
Following the release of the report, Missouri lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called for Greitens to resign.
BREAKING: Missouri Republican Attorney General and US Senate candidate Josh Hawley calls on Gov. Eric Greitens to resign.
— The Associated Press (@AP) April 12, 2018
MO Sen @clairecmc: Greitens should resign. pic.twitter.com/5ZZ2cmWVsq
— Steve Kraske (@stevekraske) April 12, 2018
It is graphically clear. MO Governor Greitens must resign or be impeached. #moleg
— RepStaceyNewman (@staceynewman) April 11, 2018
Former Missouri Lieutenant Governor Peter Kinder also called for Greitens’ resignation, adding the legislature should begin impeachment proceedings if he did not do so. “With great sadness, I ask that Gov. Greitens resign his office or, failing that, I call on my friends in the House of Representatives to commence impeachment as provided in the Constitution.”
Greitens has been charged with felony invasion of privacy. He is also under investigation for possible improper use of a nonprofit donor list during his gubernatorial campaign.