Cole County court issues subpoena for Senator Josh Hawley

JEFFERSON CITY - A Cole County judge issued a subpoena for Sen. Josh Hawley on Monday in connection with a lawsuit over public records and Sunshine Law requests.

A press release from Elad Gross, a candidate for Missouri Attorney General, said Gross asked for the subpoena "to require Senator Josh Hawley to answer questions under oath about his involvement in violating Missouri's public records law during his time as the state's Attorney General."

Gross said the case also relates to his investigation "into dark money's influence on Missouri."

The subpoena requires Hawley to contact Gross for the purpose of giving a deposition and presenting "any and all communications, recordings, calendars, notes, and/or other documents involving [Hawley], campaign donors, state employees, consultants, and/or others and the application and/or enforcement of Missouri's Sunshine Law, RSMo. Chapter 610, regarding Elad Gross's Sunshine Requests made to the Missouri Governor in 2018."

In a statement sent to KOMU 8 News, Kelli Ford - a spokesperson for Senator Hawley - called the subpoena "a political stunt by a political candidate."

"It’s unfortunate that Democrat operatives continue to misuse our courts of law for political purposes," Ford said.