Jon Patterson, the incoming speaker of the Missouri House, found himself dealing with conflicts from his predecessor, Dean Plocher, even before officially assuming office. Patterson discovered that Plocher’s staff was trying to make hiring decisions before Patterson took over. Patterson accused Plocher’s chief of staff of undermining the authority of the incoming chief clerk and demanded a conversation with Plocher about the issue.
As Plocher’s term ended, additional controversies emerged. Plocher’s office refused to pay the ethics attorney hired to investigate his alleged misconduct. Plocher also rejected a pay hike for lawmakers and attempted to change House policy to prevent the type of ethics complaint he faced. Patterson, upon assuming office, addressed these issues by paying the ethics attorney, enacting the pay raise, and reversing decisions made by Plocher, such as converting a legislative office into a storage room stocked with alcohol.
The House faced lawsuits from legislative employees over alleged threats and retaliation by Plocher, with one lawsuit dismissed and an appeal expected. As Patterson took over, he implemented new ethics rules and made changes to address the turmoil left by Plocher’s administration. Despite controversies, Patterson aims to clean up the House and move past the conflicts of the past.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
