Missouri House candidate Ross charged with drug conspiracy against opponent
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
by Sophie Brams 09/03/26 03:51 PM ET
A Republican candidate for the Missouri House is facing federal charges after prosecutors say he orchestrated a plot to plant drugs, including cocaine, on his primary opponent in the lead-up to the August election.
Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, made his initial appearance Thursday in a Springfield, Mo., courtroom. He is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance.
A detention hearing has been set for Wednesday, according to court records.
Ross is accused of asking a former campaign manager to place a bag of drugs inside the purse or vehicle of his GOP primary opponent, Louise Secker, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Missouri.
The former campaign manager reportedly told officers with the Joplin Police Department that Ross had given him a black nylon glove containing a small plastic bag of white powder and a pink and white capsule, which were later identified as cocaine and Adderall, respectively.
Authorities said Ross asked the former campaign manager in text messages to plant the drug while he was "out of state on vacation." The case was turned over to the FBI.
"Candidates are expected to conduct their campaigns with integrity, honesty, and respect for their opponents, allowing voters to make informed decisions without fear of misinformation or undue influence," U.S. Attorney Matthew Price said in a statement, saying Ross had violated public trust.
Ross defeated Secker in the Republican primary for Missouri House District 161, which covers Joplin and the surrounding area, by only 33 votes.
Peter Kinder, the chair of the Missouri Republican Party, has called for Ross to "immediately" withdraw from the upcoming general election.
"Being the Republican nominee for public office carries with it a responsibility to the voters, the community, and the principles our party represents," Kinder said in a Wednesday statement. "The people of the 161st District deserve a nominee who can devote his full attention to earning their trust and representing their interests in Jefferson City."
The Hill has reached out to Ross's campaign for comment.
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The family values party strikes again. My favorite part:
” According to a probable cause statement, investigators believe Ross used Adderall from his own prescription in the alleged plot”
how dare that woman not drop out of the primary when there was a perfectly capable maga muscular class male vying for the office ... /s
So... you're saying this was a plot by the Republican party as a whole rather than just Ross, the individual? I suppose that could be. I'll have to see what comes out at trial. But that makes me wonder, given the noticeably large number of Democrats at all levels of government being charged with crimes lately, if the Democratic party as a whole is not engaged in the same sort of conspiracy. What do you suppose that could say about their party?
Maybe government in the US, at all levels, is just corrupt, regardless of party affiliation and simply attracts corrupt candidates? Maybe that's an overstatement? Maybe somewhere in between? What do you think?
Lol, you wanna maybe back up your wild claim with some names? Funny how when a democrat hits bottom they leave voluntarily or get forced out by their party. When it’s one of theirs Republicans just put their fingers in their ears and hum loudly. There is no bottom to today’s Republican Party.
vote maga out in 2026 ...
Wow, What news station are you watching?
No, it's just another example of what kind of ethically challenged and outright criminal candidates the Republican party supports.
I'm sure the republican party's candidates don't seem that bad to other criminals that haven't been prosecuted, yet ...
Upon what basis do you claim my claim is wild? Just curious. In any case, a quick search with ChatGPT and covers only cases charged 1 January 25 or after.
Of course, this list alone cannot be taken as evidence that Democrats are more corrupt in general compared to Republicans. For instance, the current iteration of federal government could be looking primarily for Democratic misconduct rather than across all spectrums. It would not surprise me, if Dems in the next cycle own all three branches of government, we see the same sort of list, only with Republican names predominant.
But determining who's the worst wasn't my point in the first place, as I believe was clear in my original post. My point remains that our government, at all leves, is likely too corrupt to be redeemed easily.
After watching Trump 1, and now with the corruption of Trump 2, are you really going to claim both sides are equal offenders...////?
Trump made over 2 BILLION DOLLARS in just over a year, while stating his hundreds of stock transactions, have no input from him, even as his policies directly affect the worth of these stocks. His families investments in Drone companies 3 weeks before the start of the Iran war are probably just a coincidence. The Iran peace plans, then war again, fluctuating markets where certain insiders seem to know exactly when to get in, and or out, at exactly the right time, again, all coincidences. Trump family Crypto scams have raked in Billions, but it's the same as Obama making what, $70,000,000.00 in his entire career after book deals and speaking engagements, while Trump Jr. makes more than that in a few months. What Hunter Biden make $20,000,000.00, the Trump boys make taht in a weekend.
Compare apples to apples. The Dems grow on trees, the Trumps have Steve Cook em' on the Jobs, like the books.
Am I trying to compare sides? It seems obvious to me that corruption is corruption. I don't see a need to make a comparison in the first place.
... and that's only the stock transactions. trump has foreign bank accounts where his pardon bribes are deposited.
the best thing about maga going down the shitter in november will be the ongoing collateral damage done to evangelicals ...
Sorry Hal, didn’t see you article so I will delete mine on this douche-bag.