Jason Hancock
Editor, The Missouri IndependentJason Hancock has been writing about Missouri since 2011, most recently as lead political reporter for The Kansas City Star. He has spent nearly two decades covering politics and policy for news organizations across the Midwest, and has a track record of exposing government wrongdoing and holding elected officials accountable.
-
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, faced criticism last year for unsuccessfully pushing the House to purchase a software system from a private company over the objections of nonpartisan legislative staff. Meetings his office helped arrange with an Oklahoma company last month are drawing comparisons. -
Plocher’s hold on his speakership remains tenuous, and his campaign for lieutenant governor is now considered a longshot. His top legislative staff are gone, either fired or resigned in the wake of the scandals. But the impact of the ethics probe is playing out in more subtle ways in the Missouri House. -
The governor may have violated a state law prohibiting the misuse of public resources for campaign purposes when he pressured a national political organization to support the attorney general campaign of Andrew Bailey. -
Missouri Rep. Sarah Unsicker, D-Shrewsbury, faced widespread criticism in recent weeks for her social media activity, including posing for a photo next to an alleged Holocaust denier. -
Public records show the Missouri House spent $60,000 of taxpayer money renovating the speaker’s office — including $29,000 on new furniture like a leather sofa and new fridge. At the same time, other legislative offices remain inaccessible to constituents with disabilities. -
A Republican political operative wants documents showing how Andrew Bailey came up with a $21 million estimated cost to defend a proposed abortion amendment that would allow for exceptions to Missouri's current restrictive law. -
He was arguably the most powerful politician in Missouri until he faced allegations of corruption and sexual assault. Now it’s Rod Jetton’s job to help another speaker navigate accusations of misconduct. -
Accused of threatening legislative staff and stealing from taxpayers, Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher has denied any wrongdoing and rebuffed calls for his resignation. His alleged "ethical misconduct" will be the subject of a House Ethics Committee hearing this week. -
Missouri House Speaker Dean Plocher is facing calls for his resignation following revelations that he filed false expense reports with the legislature to be personally reimbursed for travel already paid for by his campaign.
-
Dean Plocher, the top lawmaker in the Missouri House, filed false expense reports numerous times since 2018 and began paying back the money he received last week.
