Kim Gardner, the former St. Louis prosecutor backed by George Soros and facing challenges, has reportedly disappeared. Auditors involved in an official state audit of her cases have raised the alarm about her absence. Gardner stepped down from her role in May following criticism of her lenient approach to crime. The accusations against her are numerous. Efforts are being made to locate her for the ongoing investigation and to serve her with subpoenas.
Despite these attempts, the Democrat lawyer is nowhere to be found. Unless there has been an unforeseen event, it is likely that she is deliberately evading detection. Nevertheless, the reasons behind her disappearance remain unclear. The Associated Press reports that auditors are struggling to track down the former St. Louis prosecutor, causing delays in the state audit of the office responsible for criminal prosecutions in the city. Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick has confirmed that investigators have been unsuccessful in their attempts to find her.
Fitzpatrick stated in a press release that auditors have made multiple attempts over the course of several months to reach out to Gardner, including efforts to personally deliver a subpoena to her. Despite these efforts, Gardner’s location continues to be undisclosed, as mentioned by Fitzpatrick, who is a member of the Republican party.
“This is a pattern of behavior with Kim Gardner, who hasn’t shown a willingness to be transparent or accountable,” Fitzpatrick said in a news release.
“Without question, she knows our audit is ongoing and that we want to speak with her about her time in office, but she has made no effort to comply with our requests or respond to our inquiries.”
Gardner, a Democrat who was first elected in 2016 as the city’s inaugural black circuit attorney, stepped down in May 2023. She was part of a cohort of “progressive” prosecutors funded by George Soros who advocated for diversion to mental health or substance abuse treatment for minor offenses, promised to increase police accountability, and worked towards freeing wrongfully convicted inmates. Similar lenient prosecutors, backed by Soros, have been elected nationwide, such as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Los Angeles County DA George Gascón. Gardner assumed the role of St. Louis Circuit Attorney in 2016 and officially began her term on January 1, 2017.
She secured a second term in 2020. However, a report highlights Gardner’s failure to meet the obligations set by state law, resulting in a significant drop in the efficiency of the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office. The city, under Democratic control, also experienced a notable increase in crime during Gardner’s tenure. The Circuit Attorney’s Office, previously known for its high number of jury trials in Missouri, saw a substantial decrease in criminal case prosecutions under Gardner’s leadership. This decline brought the city’s criminal justice system to the brink of collapse. Furthermore, when Gardner assumed office in 2017, two dozen attorneys and over a third of trial lawyers left the office.
Despite being a Democrat stronghold, Gardner ultimately resigned after a tragic incident where a young girl visiting St. Louis lost her legs in a car accident caused by a young felon who should have been incarcerated.
