Ross won Aug. 4 Republican primary by a few dozen votes
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Thomas Ross, a candidate for the Missouri House, made his initial appearance in federal court here Thursday on a charge accusing him of trying to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary.
Ross, 37, of Joplin, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. According to court documents, he is accused of asking a campaign manager to plant a small amount of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill on his opponent, Louise Secker.
The charge was filed Wednesday, one day before Ross’s first appearance in court.
Ross defeated Secker by only a few dozen votes in the Aug. 4 Republican primary.
Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment about the charge. The federal public defender’s office assigned to his case did not immediately reply to a message asking how Ross plans to plead.
Missouri’s Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, called on Ross to drop out of the race, describing the circumstances of his arrest as “serious and deeply troubling.”
Court documents allege Ross sought to plant cocaine and Adderall, both controlled substances, on Secker. The formal charge against him is conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.