Former Gov. Roger Wilson & Edward Griesedieck Indicted for Campaign Contributions

Former Missouri Governor Roger B. Wilson, 63, and attorney Edward J. Griesedieck III, 53, were indicted by the united States Attorney's Office on Wednesday, April 10, on a single charge of misappropriation of insurance funds. The money was allegedly used to make a $5,000 political contribution to the Missouri Democratic Party in 2009. If found guilty of the charge, both men face a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000.

If I might indulge myself in a little political roughhousing, trying to sneak through a five grand deal that will end up costing you a hundred grand in the long run is the Democratic financial ideal in a nutshell. BOOM, roasted.

According to the indictment, Wilson was the CEO for Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Company at the time of the infraction. This company is an independent public corporation that is Missouri's largest workers' compensation provider. Greisedeick was a partner at the Herzog Crebs law firm. Griesedieck allegedly used his law firm's funds to make the donation to the Missouri Democratic Party, and then recoup the donation by hiding it in the Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Company's legal bills. Wilson allegedly approved the billing, well aware that the $5,000 contribution hidden therein was not for legal work.

The purported scheme worked so well that they attempted to run it again, except that the Missouri Employers Mutual Insurance Company's general counsel questioned the bill, and Roger Wilson reimbursed the law firm from his own pocket. Wilson was forced out of Missouri Employers Mutual in June of 2011 under mysterious circumstances, a mystery apparently solved by the announced indictment.