Federal prosecutors charge Missouri legislative candidate in scheme to frame primary opponent

Thomas Christopher Ross, a Republican candidate for Missouri House District 161, was charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Prosecutors allege he asked a former campaign manager to place cocaine and Adderall in his opponent's belongings before the primary. Ross won the primary by 33 votes, and the state GOP chairman has urged him to withdraw from the general election.

Ross appeared in federal court in Springfield, Missouri, on Thursday for his initial hearing on the conspiracy charge. Court records indicate a detention hearing is scheduled for September 9. The former campaign manager who reported the alleged plot told Joplin police that Ross supplied a black nylon glove containing a plastic bag of white powder and a pink-and-white capsule, later identified as cocaine and Adderall. Text messages reportedly instructed the drugs be planted while Ross was vacationing out of state, and the FBI assumed control of the case.

The alleged scheme targeted Louise Secker, Ross's Republican primary rival for the district covering Joplin and surrounding areas. Ross won that primary by a narrow 33-vote margin. Missouri Republican Party Chairman Peter Kinder has publicly urged Ross to withdraw from the general election, stating that nominees bear responsibility to voters and party principles. Ross's campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment.