Judge says Greitens can view ex-wife’s phone records

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Former Missouri governor Eric Greitens can have access to his ex-wife's cellphone records in a child custody case, a judge ruled last week.

Boone County Judge Leslie Schneider upheld motions by a former Greitens political aide and Sheena Greitens' sister to block Eric Greitens from accessing their phone records. However, Schneider ruled that Sheena Greitens' phone records can be examined, according to online court records.

The order is dated April 28 -- two days after lawyers for Eric and Sheena Greitens argued over the motions in court.

The case has drawn widespread attention. Eric Greitens resigned as governor in 2018 amid scandal and is now seeking the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Sheena Greitens has said in an affidavit that her ex-husband subjected her and their children to abuse.

Eric Greitens has argued the statements are false and part of a political ploy to ruin his campaign. He was seeking the phone records to determine who his ex-wife had contact with from Feb. 1 to March 31. His lawyer, Gary Stamper, has questioned how the media knew about the abuse allegation so soon after an affidavit that included them was filed. He said last week that he wants to examine the records for calls with The Associated Press, which first reported the allegations on March 21.

Sheena Greitens' lawyer, Helen Wade, argued the records are irrelevant to the child custody case.

Sheena Greitens is trying to move the case to Texas, where she now lives.

She says in the affidavit that the former governor knocked her down and took her cellphone, wallet and keys from her during a 2018 argument at their home. The affidavit also claims Eric Greitens abused the couple’s 3-year-old son by “cuffing him across the face” and yanking him by the hair.

Sheena Greitens also alleges her ex-husband threatened her and says she restricted his access to firearms at one point because of his state of mind.

Hearings in the custody case are scheduled for Tuesday and May 27.