Missouri candidate charged with trying to plant cocaine on his political rival

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A candidate for the Missouri House created an initial court appearance Thursday on a federal drug charge accusing him of trying to plant cocaine and Adderall on his Republican primary opponent.

Key points

• Missouri's Republican Party chairman, Peter Kinder, called on Ross to drop out of the race, describing the circumstances of his arrest as "serious and deeply troubling."
• Thomas Ross, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
• Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment regarding the charge.

What happened

Thomas Ross, 37, is charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. He's accused of asking a campaign manager to plant a small amount of cocaine and a prescription amphetamine pill on his opponent, Louise Secker, in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 4 primary, according to court documents. Ross, of Joplin, defeated Secker by only a few dozen votes.

Ross did not respond to a Thursday message seeking comment regarding the charge. It was filed Wednesday. The federal public defender's office assigned to his case didn't immediately reply to a message asking how Ross intends to plead.

The bottom line

For now, missouri candidate charged with trying to plant cocaine on his political rival remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.