Thomas Ross, 37, of Joplin, appeared in federal court Thursday on a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Court documents allege that Ross asked a campaign manager to plant a small amount of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill on his primary opponent, Louise Secker, during the weeks preceding the Aug. 4 primary election. Ross won that primary by a margin of only a few dozen votes.
According to a probable cause statement signed by an FBI agent, a former campaign manager told law enforcement that Ross provided him with a black nylon glove containing a small plastic bag of white powder and a pink and white capsule. The manager stated that Ross instructed him to place the items in Secker’s purse or vehicle while Ross was on vacation out of state. Laboratory tests subsequently confirmed the substances to be cocaine and Adderall.
The FBI statement indicates that Ross sent multiple text messages to his campaign employee regarding the materials. In one message, Ross expressed hope that the plan could be executed before Secker attended a Republican women’s meeting at a Joplin restaurant in June, noting it would result in “extreme egg on the face,” according to the federal document.
Ross has not yet entered a plea, and the federal public defender’s office assigned to his case has not provided initial guidance on his response to the charge. The Missouri Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, released a statement calling on Ross to withdraw from the race, characterizing the arrest circumstances as “serious and deeply troubling.”
U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price emphasized that voters must maintain confidence in elections and stated that candidates are expected to conduct campaigns with integrity and respect for their opponents.
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