{"id":95,"date":"2018-01-11T12:09:37","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T17:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=95"},"modified":"2018-03-01T15:13:43","modified_gmt":"2018-03-01T20:13:43","slug":"gov-eric-greitens-of-missouri-admits-affair-but-denies-threats-ny-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gopplaybook.com\/?p=95","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri Admits Affair but Denies Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The St. Louis circuit attorney on Thursday opened an investigation into claims that Gov. Eric Greitens of Missouri, a former Navy Seal regarded as a Republican rising star, threatened a woman with whom he had an extramarital affair shortly before he was elected governor.<\/p>\n

Mr. Greitens had acknowledged the night before that he had an affair in 2015, but denied he had threatened the woman with whom he had the relationship.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe serious allegations against Missouri Governor Eric Greitens are very troubling,\u201d said Kimberly Gardner, the city prosecutor and a Democrat, in a statement, adding: \u201cIt is essential for residents of the City of St. Louis and our state to have confidence in their leaders. They must know that the Office of the Circuit Attorney will hold public officials accountable in the same manner as any other resident of our city.\u201d<\/p>\n

The accusations were relayed by the woman\u2019s ex-husband, but she has not commented.<\/p>\n

Mr. Greitens and his wife, Sheena, released a joint statement after a number of inquiries from the news media about the relationship late Wednesday night, shortly after the governor\u2019s State of the State address, in which the couple revealed that there \u201cwas a time when he was unfaithful in our marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was a deeply personal mistake,\u201d the Greitens, who have two young children, said in the statement. \u201cEric took responsibility, and we dealt with this together honestly and privately.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/i>Mr. Greitens\u2019s attorney, James F. Bennett, said Thursday the governor \u201cis very confident he will be cleared in any investigation,\u201d calling the relationship \u201ca personal matter that presents no matters of public or legal interest.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The woman with whom Mr. Greitens,\u00a0who was elected in 2016<\/a>, had the affair is a St. Louis-area hairdresser, according to Albert Watkins, a lawyer for the woman\u2019s former husband. Mr. Watkins said that she had told her then-husband in 2015 that Mr. Greitens had been a customer at the hair salon where she cut his hair and that during their first sexual encounter, Mr. Greitens had threatened her with retribution if she revealed their relationship.<\/p>\n

Mr. Watkins said his client had recorded the conversation, and Mr. Watkins provided a transcript and audio tape of it to The New York Times and other news organizations. The tape was first\u00a0broadcast on KMOV<\/a>, St. Louis\u2019s CBS affiliate, during the late evening news Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Neither the woman nor her former husband could be reached for comment.<\/p>\n

Roy Temple, a former Missouri Democratic Party chairman, said in an interview that he had met with the woman\u2019s former husband in 2016 and he told him then that Mr. Greitens had threatened her. But Mr. Temple said the man was not willing to go on the record with the claims during the campaign because of the couple\u2019s children.<\/p>\n

Mr. Watkins said his client changed his mind after becoming convinced that the story would come out because of \u201crelentless media inquiries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy client realized he had no choice but to get the truth out in a way that was committed solely to doing the best he could to protect his family,\u201d Mr. Watkins said.<\/p>\n