Kim Gardner, the St. Louis Circuit Attorney backed by far-left billionaire George Soros, announced her resignation after years of controversy and criticisms over her handling of the legal system. Gardner, who has been in office since 2017, has been accused of contributing to a breakdown in basic law and order in St. Louis, one of America’s most dangerous cities.
Gardner’s resignation letter implied that she was targeted by state officials and other law-abiding citizens due to her race, arguing that as the first Black, female prosecutor in Missouri, she had faced external challenges. However, her tenure as the city’s prosecutor has been fraught with criticism, as her office has been accused of failing to hold criminals accountable.
One tragic case involved a 17-year-old girl, Janae Edmondson, who lost both her legs after being struck by a car driven by a man awaiting trial for armed robbery. The man had violated the terms of his bond multiple times, yet Gardner’s office never issued a warrant for his arrest. Gardner also made headlines in 2020 for prosecuting Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who pointed firearms at a mob trespassing in their gated neighborhood during the nationwide Black Lives Matter riots.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey and other law-abiding citizens were outraged by Gardner’s actions and called for her removal from office. In her letter, Gardner portrayed herself as a victim of a coordinated political attack, stating that she had experienced attacks on her reforms, judgment, integrity, and prosecutorial discretion.
Gardner’s resignation will be effective on June 1st, but Attorney General Bailey argues that it isn’t soon enough. St. Louis, a city plagued by violence, will hopefully see improvements in public safety once a new prosecutor takes office. Unfortunately, the lasting impact of Gardner’s tenure on the city’s crime and justice system will not be easily erased.
