St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner was defiant Saturday even as a contempt of court case against her advanced this week.
“I ain’t leaving. I ain’t resigning. You gonna have to remove me,” the embattled George Soros-funded prosecutor said during a criminal justice town hall discussion, according to KDSK News reporter Mark Maxwell. “I lost a lot of attorneys because they were afraid to do what’s right.”
Gardner additionally claimed that saboteurs inside her office were attempting to undermine her and that the police union only agreed to “let” her remain if office if she refused to hold them accountable.
Judge Michael Noble announced Thursday he would appoint a special prosecutor to build the case against Gardner after her office failed to show up for several high-profile assault prosecutions.
“It appears that Ms. Gardner has complete indifference and a conscious disregard for the judicial process,” Noble said, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Gardner’s office resembled a “rudderless ship of chaos,” he added.
In addition to her legal troubles, Gardner is also facing a lawsuit from Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey attempting to remove her over repeated instances where her office allegedly failed to enforce the law.
“This is about protecting the people of the city of St. Louis, restoring the rule of law, and finding justice for victims. We brought this suit to remove a prosecutor who has refused to perform her duties to the people of St Louis,” Bailey said in March after filing the suit.
“The evidence is shocking and deeply disturbing, and we remain committed to removing Circuit Attorney Gardner from office.”
Gardner was among the first prosecutors Democratic mega-donor Soros bankrolled in 2016 and then again during her 2020 re-election campaign.
The controversial attorney announced last month that she will be running for a third term despite the backlash against her.