In a case that underscores the gravity of public trust and ethical conduct in office, former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner has admitted to misusing public funds and entered into a pretrial diversion agreement with U.S. District Court in St. Louis, according to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Gardner, whose office was marred by controversy following the prosecution of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, directed employees to issue checks totaling $5,004.33 from the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office Contingent Fund to cover her personal fees and costs. These funds, meant to aid the robust operation of the Circuit Attorney's Office, were unfortunately deposited into her personal bank account for unrelated personal expenses, the details of which were outlined in the diversion agreement. Besides the agreement Gardner must now also repay the misappropriated funds as restitution. "Kimberly Gardner was not entitled under the law to that additional compensation," the U.S. Attorney's Office notes, highlighting the overstepping of legal boundaries.
It was the substantial amount of federal program funds received by the City of St. Louis that brought the U.S. Attorney's Office into the case – an annual sum exceeding $10,000, with Gardner admitting to misusing over $5,000 in public funds. Under the terms of the agreement, she is required to exhibit law-abiding behavior for a period of 18 months, reporting to, and following the instructions of a pretrial services officer.
U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming credited the resolution to comprehensive investigative efforts, stating on U.S. Attorney's Office, "The agreement follows a thorough investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, during which investigators interviewed all pertinent witnesses and reviewed all available evidence and financial records." The legally tempered process points to Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith as the prosecutor and acknowledges the FBI's role in the investigative dimensions of the case.
