St. Louis, MO – Evan Rodriguez, the Missouri governor's general counsel, has been tapped to oversee the St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office following Kim Gardner's sudden resignation Tuesday. Gov. Mike Parson says he plans to announce a replacement for Gardner by the end of the week.
In a news conference Tuesday, Parson says Gardner's resignation was unexpected. He says his office was not advised that Gardner had asked St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell to manage the office in her absence.
"Kim Gardner resigned. As Governor of the state, my job is to select the next person," said Parson. The Attorney General's office will also be involved in oversight of the Circuit Attorney's office until an interim prosecutor is named.
Parson and St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones were already scheduled to meet Tuesday to talk about a replacement, when Gardner resigned.
The Mayor's office released this statement: "The Mayor and Governor agreed that restoring faith in this office is critical to a functional criminal justice system. She also re-emphasized that the appointment should serve as a caretaker for the office who can make much-needed changes without the distraction of re-election politics in 2024."