State Representative is no longer resigning at this time
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State Representative is no longer resigning at this time

Date: November 7, 2013
By: Shannon O'Brien
State Capitol Bureau
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JEFFERSON CITY - Following charges of stealing and campaign finance violation charges, Rep. Steve Webb, D-St. Louis County, is not planning to resign at this time according to media reports.

According to the probable cause statement, Webb, who is the chairman of the Missouri Black Legislative Caucus, 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, said in a statement Thursday that Webb is no longer planning to resign based on what Webb has told reporters. According to the statement, Webb had directed Hummel to have Hummel's staff to begin constructing a resignation letter.

“The decision on whether or when to resign ultimately is Representative Webb’s to make," Hummel said in Thursday's statement. "But for the sake of his family and constituents, I strongly believe that he should follow through with his original intentions.”

And on Wednesday Hummel released a statement 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.

Along with the felony charge of stealing, Webb was charged with seven other misdemeanors. The November 1 complaint claims those misdemeanors deal with mishandling campaign donations 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 the $6,000 his candidate committee received for personal use.

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

Missouri Ethics Commission Director James Klahr said the organization cannot 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.  

Member of the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus Rep. Clem Smith, D-St. Louis County, said this is an unfortunate situation and he hopes this matter is resolved in a peaceful way.

"There's no improprieties in our records," Smith said.  "Anything outside of that I cannot really comment on or question or assume."

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

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