The Latest: Greitens' lawyer: No conflict of interest


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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Latest on the investigation of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

An attorney for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens says the latest court filing by the St. Louis prosecutor shows a "certain level of desperation."

In a court filing Friday, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner asked a judge to disqualify the Dowd Bennett law firm from Greitens' criminal case, saying it simultaneously worked both for and against the state.

Greitens was indicted by a St. Louis grand jury last month on felony invasion of privacy. He is accused of taking a compromising photo of a woman with whom he was having an affair in 2015, without her permission.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed in December claimed Greitens' use of the message-destroying phone app Confide violated the state's open records laws.

Dowd Bennett represented Greitens in both cases until withdrawing from the Confide case earlier this month, after Attorney General Josh Hawley issued a report finding use of the app did not violate the law.

Dowd says his firm consulted with Hawley's office in January to make sure there was no conflict of interest.

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3:30 p.m.

St. Louis' top prosecutor is asking a judge to disqualify the law firm representing Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens in his criminal case.

In a court filing Friday, Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner says the Dowd Bennett law firm simultaneously worked both for and against the state.

Greitens was indicted by a St. Louis grand jury last month on felony invasion of privacy. He is accused of taking a compromising photo of a woman with whom he was having an affair in 2015, without her permission.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed in December claimed Greitens' use of the message-destroying phone app Confide violated the state's open records laws.

Dowd Bennett represented Greitens in both cases until withdrawing from the Confide case earlier this month, after Attorney General Josh Hawley issued a report finding use of the app did not violate the law.

Phone and email messages seeking comment from the Dowd Bennett firm were not immediately returned.

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2:30 p.m.

The St. Louis circuit attorney's office is investigating the charity founded by Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens for potential criminal issues.

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said at a news conference Friday that his office has issued 15 subpoenas in its investigation of The Mission Continues. He announced the inquiry earlier this month after The Associated Press reported that Greitens used a Mission Continues email to send meeting invitations to political consultants as he was preparing to run for office in 2015.

Susan Ryan, a spokesman for Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner, says her office is investigating The Mission Continues separately from the attorney general's probe, but she declined to discuss details of the investigation.

Greitens already faces a felony invasion of privacy indictment in St. Louis related to a photo taken of a woman with whom he had an affair prior to being elected.

Phone and email messages seeking comment from the Dowd Bennett firm were not immediately returned.

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11:15 a.m.

The Missouri attorney general's office has issued 15 subpoenas in an investigation of a veterans charity founded by Gov. Eric Greitens.

Attorney General Josh Hawley told reporters Friday that the office subpoenaed The Mission Continues charity, Greitens' gubernatorial campaign and the Greitens Group.

Hawley says the office also subpoenaed staffers or former staffers at the entities. He wouldn't say specifically who.

Hawley announced the inquiry into the charitable activities of The Mission Continues earlier this month after The Associated Press reported that Greitens used a Mission Continues email to send meeting invitations to political consultants as he was preparing to run for office in 2015.

Federal tax law prohibits 501(c)(3) charities such as The Mission Continues from participating in any political campaign on behalf of a candidate for public office.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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