Kim Gardner supporters upset; some not surprised by her resignation
ST. LOUIS – Many of Kim Gardner’s longtime supporters were disappointed at the news of her resignation on Thursday, although some say they are not surprised.
Reverand Darryl Gray, with the Baptist Ministers Union and Community Justice Coalition, has been in the fight to defend Gardner from the beginning of her battles.
“It’s disheartening. I wish that I could say that I’m surprised, but with the barrage that was levied against her from day one,” he said. “The exodus of prosecutors with the exclusion lists with the Greitens trial—everything else—she had to deal with it, the reality became how much more can you stand.”
Gray said the full court press by the legislature to give the governor the power to appoint a special prosecutor was really the beginning of the end for Gardner.
“The attorney general suing you, and then you’ve got the legislature creating legislation to get rid of you. How much more is expected,” he said. “I think today, once they realized that legislation could pass and a special prosecutor could be created, it was more beneficial for the city. I believe in her eyes to maintain that responsibility and authority in the hands of St. Louisians versus the legislation that would put the prosecutor’s office in the hands of Jeff City.”
Gray said most people didn’t understand their fight.
“Jefferson City or Washington, D.C., can’t come in and reverse the vote of the people; that was our biggest issue,” he said. “It wasn’t about Kim Gardner or Tishaura Jones or anybody else; it was this is who we elected, so how dare you come in and try to take away our vote, and that was the key part.”
Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox.
“Now what we have to do, we have to appeal to the governor,” Gray said. “He’s not going to appoint a Kim Gardner, but we hope that he won’t appoint an Andrew Bailey.”
FOX 2 reached out to Gardner for a comment but was declined.
Source: KTVI Fox 2 St. Louis
