Gov. Greitens files restraining order against AG Josh Hawley

JEFFERSON CITY - Gov. Eric Greitens filed a restraining order against Attorney General Josh Hawley on Monday over the investigation into the governor's office and "any entities with which Gov. Greitens is or has been associated."

The petition also seeks the appointment of a special prosecutor for conducting any investigation into the governor's office.

Hawley announced an investigation into Greitens and his charity, The Mission Continues, in March. On Tuesday, Hawley said he had found evidence of "potential criminal violations" by Greitens, who allegedly used a list of charity donors for his political campaign. Hawley turned over the evidence to prosecutors in St. Louis, where the charity is based.

According to the petition, attorneys for Greitens on Monday asked the attorney general's office whether Hawley intended to recuse himself from the investigation. In that request, the attorneys said if Hawley did not recuse himself, Greitens would "explore legal remedies."

In the petition, Greitens' attorneys made the following argument:

"By his own published standards, AG Hawley’s official public call for Gov. Greitens to resign compromises the AGO’s own ongoing investigation of Gov. Greitens. AG Hawley’s public statements demonstrate that he understands that by calling for Gov. Greitens to resign, he has predetermined the guilt of his own investigative target and his investigation now is clearly compromised. AG Hawley’s public statements demonstrate that he can no longer continue his investigation with impartiality. Indeed, the entire Attorney General’s Office must be recused due to the appearance of impropriety cast when its official website contains a call for its investigative target to 'resign immediately' based on 'certainly impeachable' conduct."