Former Greitens campaign staffers deposed by attorney general

Two former staff members of Gov. Eric Greitens’ gubernatorial campaign have been deposed by the state’s attorney general.

ABC 17 News confirmed with Attorney General Josh Hawley’s office that Danny Laub, the former chairman of the campaign, was deposed by investigators earlier this month. Laub’s name was signed to a consent order with the Missouri Ethics Commission in 2017 that said the campaign failed to disclose a donor list from The Mission Continues that it received in March 2015. Greitens founded The Mission Continues in 2007, stepping down as its CEO before running for governor.

An attorney for Michael Hafner told ABC 17 News that Hafner spoke to both the attorney general’s office and the special House committee investigating the governor. Hafner’s attorney, Jeffrey Ernst, said Hafner spoke under oath to both groups, but did not elaborate on what questions were asked.

Ernst said Hafner spoke to the House committee March 14, followed by the attorney general’s office March 16.

Hafner and Laub both received the donor list in January 2015, according to an email obtained by The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Associated Press reported in October 2016 that Hafner was the last person to save a document detailing people who donated $1,000 or more to The Mission Continues.

Greitens then denied using a donor list to solicit campaign contributions.

Greitens’ procurement and use of the donor list is the subject of a felony computer tampering charge in St. Louis. The attorney general’s office sent prosecutors their information about the charity after it opened an investigation in February.

The Mission Continues has denied ever giving the campaign the donor list.

Greitens attempted to stop Hawley’s office from investigating him and the charity, claiming Hawley showed bias against him in calling for his resignation April 11. Hawley said the calls were in reference to the House committee’s report on Greitens’ 2015 affair, which included allegations of physical and sexual abuse. A Cole County judge denied the governor’s request Friday, saying he could not stop the attorney general from pursuing a civil investigation.

Greitens fired Hafner from his gubernatorial campaign after discovering ties to his GOP rival, John Brunner, according to the AP.

Transcripts from the House report showed that the committee would be speaking to Hafner. Committee chairman Rep. Jay Barnes, R – Jefferson City, said on March 12 that they would be speaking to Hafner about The Mission Continues donor list.