State representative expected to resign over stealing charges
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State representative expected to resign over stealing charges

Date: November 6, 2013
By: Taylor Beck
State Capitol Bureau
Links: probable cause statement (felony), complaint (felony), probable cause statement (misdemeanors), complaint (misdemeanirs)

JEFFERSON CITY - Following stealing and campaign finance violation charges, Chairman of the Missouri Black Legislative Caucus Rep. Steve Webb, D-St. Louis County is expected to resign.

According to the probable cause statement, Webb solicited a $3,000 donation from Community Loans of America to use for a Missouri Legislative Black Caucus reception in Washington D.C. The statement indicates he then transfered that money into his own personal bank account and spent it.

House Minority Leader Jacob Hummel, D-St. Louis City, released a statement earlier in the day saying Webb planned to resign by the end of the day, and that he believed it was the right choice considering the seriousness of the charges.

"Misappropriation of political donations for personal use cannot be tolerated, and, if guilty of the charges against him, Representative Webb will have to answer for his alleged actions," the statement reads.

As of 5 p.m. Wednesday, Webb had still not resigned. The Associated Press reported Webb had sent them a text message saying he had not decided whether to resign or not and would not comment on the matter at the time.

Hummel said Webb will have to give a letter of resignation to the governor if he plans to resign.

Along with this stealing felony charge, he was charged with seven other misdemeanors. The Nov. 1 complaint claims those misdemeanors deal with mishandling campaign finances and other violations.

That complaint said between 2010 and 2012 Webb failed to report around $25,000 in campaign contributions, failed to report about $36,000 of expenditures, made more expenditures than allowed in a given year and took more than $6,000 his candidate committee received for personal use.

Hummel, D-St. Louis City, said he did not know about the investigation beforehand but spoke with Webb Wednesday.

"He hadn't talked to me about this previously. He said that he, ya know, he wasn't admitting guilt, but that he thought that in the best interest of his constituents, the party and his family that he was going to resign his seat today," Hummel said.

Senator Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis City, would not comment on the investigation but called it an "unfortunate time."

The Missouri Ethics Commission Director James Klahr said the organization can't comment on the investigation that led to the charges. He said the commission began the investigation, then handed it over to St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch, who then turned it over to police.  

Webb was first elected to the Missouri House of Representatives in 2008, and this was not his first run in with the law since being elected. In 2010 he was charged with misdemeanor for driving without a valid license among other traffic citations throughout the years.