Former St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO Sheila Sweeney pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony on May 10. The same day, businessman John Rallo, a Stenger campaign donor, pleaded not guilty to theft of honest services.

Conversations between Miller and other members of Stenger’s inner circle, secretly recorded by federal agents, made up some of the evidence against Stenger.

Miller was a Stenger appointee to the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and was part of an effort by Stenger to pressure Sweeney to award a lobbying contract to John Bardgett & Associates. The company and its principal had donated about $59,000 to Stenger, according to the indictment of Stenger.

Miller told Stenger’s policy chief, Jeff Wagener, on Oct. 30 that Sweeney had to award the contract to Bardgett or else it would be “disastrous” for her.

“Steve’s like, You don’t f---- — understand, this is how this works,” Miller said. “And I’m like, Yeah, I get it. It’s not a problem. We’ll take care of it. … Steve wants it, let’s get it done.”

Bardgett said in response that he has never placed any conditions on his contributions to Stenger’s campaign.