Ex-Missouri Governor Charged with Mishandling Insurance Firm Donation

Former Missouri Gov. Roger Wilson has been indicted on charges he misappropriated $5,000 from a firm created by the state Legislature to provide workers’ compensation insurance and where he served as president and CEO, federal prosecutors said on April 12.

Wilson, a Democrat who was lieutenant governor and served briefly as governor following the death of Mel Carnahan in a plane crash in late 2000, is named in the federal indictment along with Edward Griesedieck III of St. Louis.

The indictment alleges Griesedieck caused his law firm to make a $5,000 contribution to the Missouri Democratic Party, then hid the cost of the contribution in legal bills submitted to Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Co. Wilson was named MEM’s president and CEO in January 2010 after serving the company since June 2009 as acting president and CEO. He was put on administrative leave from the company in May 2011.

Prosecutors say Wilson knew of the illegal contribution in approving payment of the bills.

Messages seeking comment from Wilson were not returned. Griesedieck did not have a listed phone number, but A. Fuller Glaser Jr., a partner in Griesedieck’s law firm, Herzog Crebs, said Griesedieck and the firm agreed to part earlier this week.

“Herzog Crebs regrets the unfortunate misjudgment of its former partner Edward Griesedieck, which was contrary to our values,” Glaser said. “We also regret not having sufficient safeguards in place at the time. We have since strengthened those safeguards to prevent future incidents.”

The allegation is a class A misdemeanor. If found guilty, Wilson and Griesedieck could face up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.