Posted on 02/26/2015 1:27:39 PM PST by Nachum
ST. LOUIS • Tom Schweich, Missouri's Republican state auditor and a leading contender for the governor's office in next year's election, has died, according to his office.
Earlier in the day, a police source said Schweich had sustained a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The police source said Schweich's wife was in another room of their house when she heard her husband making phone calls, followed by a single gunshot.
He was 54.
His death was confirmed by his office early Thursday afternoon, just hours after Schweich had requested an interview with reporters for the Post-Dispatch and the Associated Press at his Clayton home later in the day.
Before that interview could take place, Schweich was taken to a St. Louis-area hospital, for what his office initially described only as "a medical situation" that occurred at his home.
"He is receiving treatment at a local hospital," the earlier statement said. "We ask for respect and privacy for him and his family during this time."
Later on Thursday, spokesman Spence Jackson issued a written statement: "It is with great sadness that I confirm the passing of Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich today. Please keep in mind his wife Kathy and two children." The statement didn't specify a cause of death.
Political leaders from both parties immediately began issuing written condolences.
Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon called him "a brilliant, devoted and accomplished public servant who dedicated his career to making Missouri and the world a better place." Nixon ordered flags at all state facilities lowered to half-staff.
(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...
A fine man as far as I knew. Tragic. Just can’t believe he would do anything like this...
Thanks for the post/link. Very interesting. Condolences to family and friends of Tom Schweich.
I would get a bad phone call from his doctor.
I have a feeling this had something to do with the missus.
A man can deal with a lot of external things, but if there was a betrayal of those closest to him, that may have been too big a burden to bear, especially with the heightened public profile.
Either that, or the ghost of a long past misdeed came back and threatened him with ruin.
He had a nice family so:
Mental Illness or something shady and usually, there is nothing conspiratorial. Interesting story reading it.
Rest in Peace.
Methinks something else is going on here...
And chief of staff for Bolton too... Bolton and Patterson polar opposites.
There was chatter of a Cruz - Bolton ticket a while back Cruz breakfasted or dined with Bolton, who was said to be toying with a 2016 run for pres.
Patterson’s dealings in the Arab Spring- being her chief of staff could draw unwanted attention to him. Might also pertain to the stupid Benghazi video and diversion the islamists made at the Cairo embassy and other embassies like Sudan’s, while they prepared the attack at Benghazi.
But that investigation is going nowhere, so at this point what difference does it make?
Tom Schwcih was a very smart pol who seemed to be going places. RIP for someone who was concealing a lot of private torment. We may never know the cause of this.
-PJ
-PJ
The claim was he was worried about Jewish ancestry allegations coming out. That might make sense if he was living in Nazi Germany, that does not make sense today. To make things stranger, Schweich’s spokesman, Spence Jackson, committed suicide as well:
http://fox2now.com/2015/03/31/details-in-spence-jacksons-death-to-be-revealed-at-press-conference/
Why would that be a liability? In today’s diversity-obsessed culture, it would be a plus. I, for one, would like more Jewish Republicans in high office.
That’s what I was wondering. Frankly, I think it was some blockbuster allegation or blackmail coming from MO GOP Chairman John Hancock (a RINO who has been working to see Catherine Hanaway anointed for the Gubernatorial race, for which she is sure to lose). Schweich apparently called a press conference the day of his suicide where he would presumably address whatever it was that was being held over his head, but he didn’t bother to wait for it before taking his life.
One thing is clear, Hancock and Hathaway should be thoroughly repudiated, since they set these events in motion. Maybe ex-State Chairman Ed Martin, a Conservative, will step up and run. Losing Tom Schweich, who was the likely odds-on favorite to succeed Nixon as Governor, was a tremendous blow.
Jewish ancestry allegations, seriously? That’s just bizarre and seems ridiculous.
And the staffer’s suicide note said ““I’m so sorry. I just can’t take being unemployed again.””. Wow. I still think both suicides are probably connected to a related scandal.
Or else Schweich was just depressed and the staffer really was just despondent over losing his job.
2012 Senate runner up John Brunner has launched an exploratory committee for Governor.
Brunner is OK. Had he won the nomination instead of Akin for Senate, he’d have likely beaten the execrable McCaskill. Stopping Hanaway from getting the nomination is paramount.
Unless he was also born with his foot in his mouth, like Akin, it seems fairly certain he’d have won. Damn you, Todd.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.