ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Mark McCloskey joined a local radio show to clear up some things he's been recently accused of since announcing his bid for the U.S. Senate seat from Missouri in 2022.
The St. Louis lawyer says he had been accused of supporting the Black Live Matter (BLM) movement, fighting against the 2nd Amendment and donating money to Democrats. He joined our partner station 97.1 FM Talk on The Marc Cox Show to give his side to those claims.
Last year, when McCloskey and his wife, Patricia, were represented by attorney Al Watkins, their then-attorney said, "My clients are completely behind and endorsed the message of BLM." He was representing them for the charges filed by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Garnder of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering.
McCloskey say Watkins wasn't his attorney for long after that.
"(Watkins) was trying to walk this cute tightrope of using the BLM slogan and distinguishing it from the BLM hierarchy," McCloskey says. "I've never made such a statement."
McCloskey has also spoken with political commentator Ben Shapiro and set the record straight:
McCloskey also wanted to clear up accusations about him donating to support democrats and fighting against gun rights.
He says he has donated to some local democrats, who are close friends. He says this is something former President Donald Trump has previously asked him about as well and when he explained it, Trump said, "yeah, I do the same thing. Don't worry about it."
As far as his stance on guns, he says he's owned an AR-15 for more than 30 years. He says he has sued a gun company three times in the past and it was the same company that has been "sued out of existence" for making cheap pistols.
Last week, McCloskey announced he's running for the US Senate seat that will open next year as Sen. Roy Blunt is retiring.
"I didn't know the opposition research was going to be from the Republican party, but that's the way politics is these days," McCloskey says.
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