Statement from Senator Ed Emery Regarding the Indictment of the Governor
JEFFERSON CITY — State Sen. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, today issued a statement regarding the governor’s indictment on felony charges.
“It has been said that a good prosecutor can get a grand jury to indict a turnip, so it is premature to convict solely on the basis of a grand jury indictment. It is important to understand that no defense is presented to the grand jury. Their charge is to determine whether there is a basis for trial. They neither try nor convict. The governor will have his time in court which is when guilt or innocence is decided. The legislature is not dependent on the governor in performing our duties, so other than the obvious distraction, the legislature should function normally – bills will be submitted, heard in committees and debated in the respective chambers.
The governor has garnered a phenomenal group of staff and department heads who are proven leaders in their own right, and I am confident they will continue to manage government services competently and without interruption pending full resolution of the indictment.”