Kimberly Gardner, a former St. Louis prosecutor previously supported by left-leaning billionaire George Soros, has admitted to misusing public funds to cover her own personal court fees.
Upon entering a pretrial diversion program with U.S. District Court in St. Louis, Gardner admitted to misusing the funding. She confirmed that she had employees under her supervision write checks that totalled to over $5,000. According to First Alert 4, she took the money as reimbursement for her court fees.
The employees took the money out of the Contingent Fund Account in her office. Gardner used the checks to cover the money spent in a 2022 case against her by the Missouri Supreme Court. In the case, the court found her in violation of ethical rules while prosecuting the state’s former governor, Eric Greitens.
The Contingent Fund remains reserved for prosecuting expenses. However, Gardner had the money “deposited in her personal bank account and used for her personal expenses unrelated to her job duties and the operations of the Circuit Attorney’s Office. ”
Prior to her admission, Gardner faced pressured to resign from her role as the lead prosecutor in St. Louis. She did so in June 2023 amid bipartisan calls for her to step down.
Through her cooperation in the program, Gardner cannot break any laws and must report to a pretrial services officer. The agreement also defers prosecution for 18 months, but Gardner will have to pay back the funds as restitution.
While Gardner declined to comment to news outlets, her attorney released a statement. The statement, obtained by the news outlet, confirmed the ex-prosecutor’s decision to “terminate” an investigation into her actions.
“Ms. Gardner entered into a pre-charge diversion agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s office,” wrote her attorney, Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. “The parties agreed to resolve the matter prior to any criminal action commencing and to spare the district the time and costs associated with defending any claim of criminal wrongdoing. While Ms. Gardner was prepared to vigorously defend any allegations that may have been lodged against her, she and the government agreed to end any dispute and terminate any investigation with the pre-charge diversion agreement.”
While no further investigation will begin, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office did note that the current agreement is a “just and fair outcome” for the former official.
“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,” wrote U.S. Attorney Sayler A. Fleming. “This is a just and fair outcome for a case involving a former official and the misuse of public funds that just met the minimum required under the pertinent federal criminal statute.”
