The former top prosecutor of St. Louis, a beneficiary of billionaire George Soros’ campaign financing machine, oversaw a dramatic decline in cases handled and spent weeks away from the job to pursue a nursing certification on the taxpayer’s dime, according to an audit released this week.
Missouri’s state auditor published a report showing former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner refused to prosecute nearly 60% of the cases brought to her office by police.
Ms. Gardner, who was in office from 2017 until she resigned in May 2023, also spent the equivalent of seven working weeks away from her role as circuit attorney while pursuing a family nurse practitioner post-master’s certificate from St. Louis University.
The former prosecutor told auditors she was aiming for the certificate to “improve the office and bring mental health awareness” to her staff.
“On the same day Kim Gardner should have been in the courtroom performing her duties as Circuit Attorney she was in a classroom pursuing her nursing certification,” State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick wrote in a statement after the 71-page report was released Tuesday.
“The judge at the time said Gardner was the captain of a ‘rudderless ship of chaos’ and our report backs up that claim by detailing how the performance of the Circuit Attorney’s Office declined significantly because of her neglect and mismanagement,” he continued.
Ms. Gardner was part of a wave of prosecutors nationwide who took office on promises to offer diversion programs for drug users and others charged with quality of life crimes. She also campaigned on bringing accountability to the St. Louis Police Department.
But her tenure was marred by scandals that attracted the attention of the state’s top law enforcement officer.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey in 2023 petitioned to oust Ms. Gardner, arguing she “forfeited her office.”
That petition came days after Daniel Riley — who frequently violated his house arrest while dealing with a pending robbery charge — crashed his car into another vehicle and caused a Tennessee teenager to lose her legs.
Court documents showed Ms. Gardner’s office wasn’t ready to pursue the robbery case against Riley months before the collision.
Riley was sentenced last year to nearly 19 years behind bars for the crash.
The audit also said Ms. Gardner’s office saw a 37% reduction in the number of employees working for her during her seven years in charge.
Further, her office spent $58,000 on a DJ, car detailing, flowers, an office picnic, a chili cookout and her own legal expenses.
Information needed to complete the audit was a challenge for investigators because, they said, Ms. Gardner’s office delayed or denied requests for two years.
The audit said employees were finally compelled by court subpoenas, although full access to documents wasn’t available until she was replaced by current Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore.
• Matt Delaney can be reached at mdelaney@washingtontimes.com.