Sources: DOR Director expected to resign Friday
Sources told ABC 17 News that the Department of Revenue Director Joel Walters is expected to resign Friday morning.
The expected resignation comes after he was criticized for his handling of state tax refunds.
Earlier this month Walters told the House Special Committee on Government Oversight that the revenue issue was caused by the federal tax cuts and a miscalculation of the state’s withholding tables.
One lawmaker released a statement in response to Walters’ expected resignation.
“It has been clear for weeks that the Missouri Department of Revenue needs new leadership,” House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said. “But, the director’s departure in no way absolves Governor Mike Parson and top members of his administration for their roles in this debacle.”
Quade went on to criticize Parson’s administration for allegedly covering up the issue.
“The resignation of Director Walters is just a first step that must include Governor Parson taking full responsibility for his administration’s failures and committing to providing relief to those Missourians who are in a financial bind as a result,” Quade said.
Missouri is hundreds of millions of dollars behind schedule in revenue collection, and Rep. Kip Kendrick, D – Columbia, said he is becoming “more skeptical” that the state will match expected economic growth.
Republican leadership issued a joint statement Thursday ahead of the expected resignation. Speaker of the House Elijah Haahr, R – Springfield said there is work to be done on the ongoing revenue issue.
“Without the investigation, oversight, and hearings (the House Special Committee on Government Oversight) insisted upon, the people would never have known the truth about the mistakes made by the revenue department,” Haahr said. “The resignation of the Director is an important step forward, but the department has much more work to do to regain the trust of the public.”
Majority Floor Leader Rep. Rob Vescovo, R – Arnold, said the Department of Revenue “failed to do its job” under Walters.
“It’s time for new leadership in the department that will operate with integrity and transparency, and will work to protect the best interests of all Missourians,” Vescovo said.
Rep. Rob Ross, R – Yukon, is the chairman of the committee that questioned Walters regularly about the revenue shortfall. He said Missourians “deserve competency and honesty in their state agencies. The Department of Revenue’s failures and subsequent coverup will impact the pocketbooks and trust of many Missourians.”
Walters has held his position since April 2017 when he was appointed by then-Gov. Eric Greitens.
