Judge dumps Josh Hawley's attempt to oust former Missouri auditor
JEFFERSON CITY — The last Democrat to hold statewide office in Missouri won a lawsuit Thursday that began as a politically charged feud between her and Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley.
Cole County Circuit Court Jon Beetem ruled Thursday that a state board that regulates accountants does not have any oversight of the state auditor’s office.
“The Board of Accountancy has no jurisdiction over the performance of the constitutional or statutory duties of the State Auditor’s Office,” Beetem wrote in his 18-page decision.
The 2021 court case stems from a fight that began when Nicole Galloway, who was state auditor at the time, released scathing audits of Hawley’s short tenure as attorney general before he became senator.
Galloway, who left office in January and was replaced by Republican Scott Fitzpatrick, issued audits showing Hawley may have misused state resources to benefit his successful 2018 campaign against former U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat. Fitzpatrick was the state treasurer when he was elected auditor.
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