known to politicos who follow Missouri politics. But news organizations have avoided identifying them.

Following the news reports, the governor admitted he was unfaithful to his wife before being elected, but his lawyer denied the blackmail allegation.

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When a St. Louis prosecutor said she would investigate the reported accusations, they took on greater weight.

On Tuesday, the controversy escalated as state lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle called for Greitens to resign. Four Republican state representatives publicly condemned his behaviour and called for his resignation.

“In a letter he wrote two years ago he stated it’s ‘our duty to kill the snakes’,” state Rep. Marsha Haefner,come short of asking the governor to resign. Republican State Rep. Phil Christofanelli tweeted that the resignation calls are “premature” and “unfair.”

“Until there is hard evidence of a crime, our focus should be on doing the people’s work,” Christofanelli said, adding that Greitens “served our country honourably and has earned the right of the presumption of innocence that we grant to every American.”

Still, the calls for resignation mark a steep fall for a newcomer politician known for his stellar resume. The former Navy SEAL and Lt. Commander was a PhD Rhodes scholar at Oxford, and White House Fellow during the administration of President George W. Bush. According to a profile in St. Louis Magazine, has had presidential aspirations since he was a young man. In 2014, he was