Missouri Governor Accused of Harassing St. Louis Man

Uproar over a document (pdf) linking various right-wing organizations with the modern militia movement prompted the Missouri State Highway Patrol on Wednesday to cease distribution of the report prepared by its agency, the Missouri Information Analysis Center, according to an article published in the Southeast Missourian today. If, however, you think the controversy is over, you are mistaken as good news is accompanied by bad.

The good news in the paragraph above comes only three days after Fox News published an article -- which, by the way, included some of my comments -- about the controversy which included portions of an interview I gave to FNC news editor Joshua Rhett Miller.

It's tempered by some bad news delivered to me by Springfield, Mo.-area blogger Clay Bowler. Bowler wrote and published a post today in which he outlines how the Missouri Political News Service web site today received an e-mail containing a copy of a letter in which St. Louis resident Josh Carter. Carter had, under provisions of the state's Sunshine Law, requested information related to the MIAC report and now believes he is being harassed by Gov. Jay Nixon (D-Mo.) and unspecified Missouri law enforcement officials as a result of his actions.

In a separate post, he draws attention to two somewhat-related matters: A Springfield (Mo.) News-Leader article about inconsistencies in Governor Nixon’s claim that Matt Blunt, his Republican predecessor in the governor's mansion, is responsible for the anti-conservative rhetoric in the MIAC report; and his own efforts to obtain information -- via the Sunshine Law -- from the governor's office.

While I do not know and have never met Carter or Bowler, I am familiar with Governor Nixon's political track record; therefore, I will continue to track this story unless or until someone can prove the accusations against the governor are without merit.

Developing...

-- Bob McCarty Writes