Whistleblower lawsuit alleges retaliation by Missouri House speaker

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A whistleblower retaliation lawsuit filed against Missouri’s House speaker on Friday alleged that he once described “stupid Republican women” as “an invasive species.”

The lawsuit, filed by House Chief Clerk Dana Miller, claimed that GOP House Speaker Dean Plocher and his Chief of Staff Rod Jetton retaliated against her after she raised concerns about Plocher’s alleged mistreatment of women and misuse of state funds.

“I got along with the speaker until I told him ‘no,’” Miller told reporters Friday.

Plocher and his office did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment from The Associated Press, but he has denied any wrongdoing in the past.

In April, the House Ethics Committee dismissed a related complaint against Plocher, despite accusations of obstruction from the committee leader and an independent investigator.

Plocher, who is prohibited from running for reelection due to term limits, is currently in a crowded Republican primary for the Missouri secretary of state’s seat.

In her lawsuit, Miller claimed that her issues with Plocher started before he became speaker in January 2023.

Miller said that during a meeting in May 2022, she raised concerns with Plocher about his treatment of female Republican lawmakers, including a woman who was considering filing an ethics complaint against him. Plocher allegedly responded by calling the women “stupid” and likening them to an “invasive species.”

Tensions between Miller and Plocher intensified in May 2023 when Plocher pushed to replace the House’s constituent management software with software from a company connected to his former law firm. When Miller opposed this decision, she was reportedly threatened with termination by Plocher.

Another controversy arose in July 2023 when Plocher sought reimbursement for a trip to Hawaii, including expenses such as a business-class flight, valet parking, and a hotel stay. It was reported that Plocher later repaid the state for these expenses after public scrutiny.

Following increased public scrutiny, Plocher hired Rod Jetton, a former House speaker, in November 2023. Jetton, who faced scandals during his time in office, allegedly expressed concerns about his own addiction to power while working in the speaker’s office.

Miller’s lawsuit also included an incident where Jetton reportedly made a choking gesture while discussing the need to suppress Miller’s authority, which raised concerns due to Jetton’s past guilty plea for assault in 2011.

Miller is seeking damages and plans to leave her position as clerk when her term ends in January 2025.

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