ST. LOUIS – Former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has admitted to misusing more than $5,000 in public funds.
In a federal court plea agreement, announced by the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday, Gardner admitted to directing her employees to issue a series of checks totaling $5,004.33.
Investigators say these funds were from the Contingent Fund Account in the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and used to reimburse Gardner for paying fees and costs assessed against her personally by the Missouri Supreme Court in August 30, 2022 court order, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
By Missouri statute, the contingent fund is only to be used to pay such expenses as necessary for the proper and vigorous prosecution of the duties of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office.
According to her plea agreement, diverted funds “were deposited in her personal bank account and used for her personal expenses unrelated to her job duties and the operations of the Circuit Attorney’s Office. Kimberly Gardner was not entitled under the law to that additional compensation.”
Gardner has entered a pretrial diversion program in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, according to the plea agreement. The agreement defers prosecution for a period of 18 months, during which time Gardner must avoid violating any laws, report to a pretrial services officer and follow the instructions of that pretrial services officer.
Gardner is also required to repay $5,004.33 in diverted funds to the Circuit Attorney’s Office as restitution.
This is a developing story. FOX 2 will update as more information becomes available.
