Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens lashed out against a St. Louis prosecutor Thursday, hours after a grand jury indicted him on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge related to an extramarital affair.

"I know this will be righted soon," Greitens wrote in a Facebook post. "The people of Missouri deserve better than a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points."

The governor was referring to Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner, whose office announced Greitens' indictment Thursday. The charge stems from an incident that allegedly occurred in March 2015, she said.

Meanwhile, some Missouri lawmakers from both sides of the aisle promised an investigation of the governor's behavior -- and some Democrats called upon the Republican to resign.

“We will carefully examine the facts contained in the indictment and answer the question as to whether or not the governor can lead our state while a felony case moves forward,” House Speaker Todd Richardson, a Poplar Bluff Republican, told the Kansas City Star. “The people of Missouri deserve no less. We will begin the process of tasking a group of legislators to investigate these serious charges.”

"Gov. Greitens has to go,” state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, a St. Louis Democrat, told the paper. “Missourians thought they voted for a person of character and integrity, and instead they got a liar and alleged criminal.”

Greitens, 43, was booked at the St. Louis Justice Center, officials told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He was released on his own recognizance, St. Louis Circuit Attorney spokeswoman Susan Ryan told the Associated Press.

According to Gardner's news release, the grand jury "found probable cause" that Greitens broke a state law.

The indictment said Greitens allegedly took a photo of a person - who was identified only by initials - "in a state of full or partial nudity" without their knowledge or consent and "in a place where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy," according to the Post-Dispatch.

It adds that Greitens allegedly "transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer," which is a felony, according to Gardner's release.

MISSOURI'S GREITENS ADMITS HE WAS 'UNFAITHFUL' BUT DENIES BLACKMAIL ALLEGATION

An investigation into Greitens' behavior was opened in January following his admiting to an affair, reportedly beginning in March 2015.

Local station KMOV-TV previously reported that Greitens allegedly threatened to publicize nude images of the woman he was having the extramarital relations with if she exposed their relationship, according to her ex-husband.

The man secretly recorded a conversation with his then-wife, in which she reportedly admitted to having an affair with Greitens.

The recording alleges that Greitens invited the woman to his home and the sexual encounter was consensual.

In the tape, the woman claims the governor asked her to "come downstairs" at his home where he would show her "how to do a proper pull-up."

The woman alleges he then taped her hands, blindfolded her, took a partially nude photo of her and then warned her to stay quite about the sexual encounter.

DIRTY DETAILS OF MISSOURI GOVERNOR'S AFFAIR FUEL RESIGNATION CALLS

"You're never going to mention my name, otherwise there will be pictures everwhere," Greitens allegedly said.

While acknowledging that he was "unfaithful" in his marriage, Greitens denied allegations that he blackmailed the woman.

Gardner declined to comment to the Associated Press but Ryan confirmed the indictment stemmed from the alleged photo.

In his statement following the indictment, Greitens maintained that he "did not commit a crime," and said the charge was a "misguided political decision."

"As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor," he said. "I did not commit a crime. With today's disappointing and misguided political decision, my confidence in our prosecutorial system is shaken, but not broken."

Gardner is a Democrat who has faced her own share of scrutiny.

Last summer, after Gardner's first six months on the job, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that at least a dozen experienced prosecutors had left her staff. By August, St. Louis radio station KMOX was reporting that staffing issues were having an effect on the resolution of criminal cases.

In January, a St. Louis judge disqualified Gardner's office from prosecuting a police shooting case, the Post-Dispatch reported. The judge ruled that the removal would "avoid an appearance of impropriety" because her office was simultaneously investigating whether the shooting was justified.

In a separate statement, Greitens' lawyers called the charges "baseless and unfounded," in a statement to the Post-Dispatch. They'll reportedly file a motion to dismiss the charges.

Greitens, a Republican, is a decorated former Navy SEAL officer whose received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart, among other awards, according to his service record. He enlisted in the Navy in 2000.

He was elected as governor in November 2016.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson, Barnini Chakraborty and the Associated Press contributed to this report.</s>Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

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Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.</s>Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens Indicted On Felony Charges Of Invasion Of Privacy

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on felony charges of invasion of privacy and taken into custody Thursday. This apparently stems from allegations made last month that during an extramarital affair, Greitens took a photo of the woman and threatened to publish it if she exposed the affair.

This afternoon in Missouri, Republican Governor Eric Greitens was arrested and booked on a charge of felony invasion of privacy. He was released without having to post bail. St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann joins us now. Hey, Rachel.

KELLY: What led to this charge today?

LIPPMANN: So back on the night of the - his State of the State address in January, our local CBS affiliate here ran a story alleging that the governor had had an affair and then allegedly taken a picture of this woman with - of this woman while she was semi-nude. He was then also accused of threatening to release that photo if she ever said anything about the affair - essentially blackmail. Missouri law says that the photo taking - taking the picture alone was the act - was a misdemeanor. What pushes this to the level of a felony was the fact that he put that photo on a computer, and therefore it makes it sort of a low-level felony. We know about this incident because the ex-husband of the woman who had the affair recorded the conversation and then released to and talked to it with the media.

KELLY: Now, the woman - who we're not naming - the woman involved has not spoken publicly about this. The governor has spoken publicly about it. What's he said?

LIPPMANN: The governor, in a statement, admitted to the affair back on that January night. He and his attorneys initially denied that a photo had been taken but walked that back later. He has always strenuously denied that that blackmail allegation took place, that he said he would release the photo if the woman made the affair public. And that is not part of the indictment today. An attorney for the governor said in a statement today about the indictment, quote, "in 40 years of public and private practice I have never seen anything like this. The charges against my client, the governor, are baseless and unfounded. The governor, my client, is absolutely innocent, and we will be filing a motion to dismiss these charges."

KELLY: Now, we mentioned that the governor is out on bail. What is the next step that his lawyers are contemplating?

LIPPMANN: So he has the - has hired these private attorneys. And as they said, they'll be filing this motion to dismiss. He's always strenuously denied the blackmail, and now they're saying that these charges are completely and totally baseless. So we do know that the case has been officially filed with the court system here. And the motion to dismiss, I'm going to guess, will come shortly after.

KELLY: Now, you know, the governor is married. He is a father. He portrayed himself as a family man during the campaign. And he was widely said to have had aspirations for higher office. Do we know how this may all play out for his political future?

LIPPMANN: I think you have to think that future - you know, his future in politics is probably, with the #MeToo movement and how this is all tied into allegations of sexual assault - is probably over. There's a question now, too, of whether he'll even finish out the rest of his term. He was first elected back in 2016. You've already had Republicans and Democrats alike calling on him to be impeached because of this indictment. And he was never really well-liked among legislatures in - legislators in Jefferson City.

KELLY: All right. Rachel, thank you so much.

KELLY: It's St. Louis Public Radio's Rachel Lippmann reporting there on the news that Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has been indicted on a felony charge of invasion of privacy.</s>Missouri Governor Eric Greitens was indicted and booked Thursday on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking and transmitting a non-consensual photo of his partly nude lover shortly before that campaign started.

Greitens was accused of threatening his lover with the nude photo, an allegation that isn’t mentioned in the indictment. He has admitted having an extramarital affair but has denied the rest.

A St. Louis Grand Jury has indicted the Governor on a charge of felony invasion of privacy. The charge stems from Greitens allegedly taking a non-consensual nude photo of a woman with whom he had an affair back in 2015. The Governor was booked and released in St. Louis. Edward Dowd, Greitens’ attorney, calls the charge baseless and unfounded.

A court hearing is set for March 16th. Reporting in St. Louis, Jill Enders, Missourinet.</s>Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens Indicted On Felony Charges Of Invasion Of Privacy

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on felony charges of invasion of privacy and taken into custody Thursday. This apparently stems from allegations made last month that during an extramarital affair, Greitens took a photo of the woman and threatened to publish it if she exposed the affair.</s>ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The Latest on a grand jury indictment of Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens (all times local):

 5:15 p.m.

 Some Democratic lawmakers are calling on Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens to resign or be impeached following his indictment on a felony invasion-of-privacy charge.

 House Minority Leader Gail McCann Beatty said Thursday that Greitens should consider resigning. She said it "will be extremely difficult for him to effectively do his job with a felony indictment hanging over his head."

 Democratic Sen. Jamilah Nasheed called on Republican House Speaker Todd Richardson to begin impeachment proceedings against Greitens. Richardson had no immediate comment.

 Greitens has acknowledged having an extramarital affair in 2015.

 The indictment from a St. Louis grand jury accuses Greitens of photographing a fully or partially nude woman and transmitting that image.

 His attorney Edward Dowd Jr. called the criminal charges "baseless and unfounded" and said Greitens is innocent.

 ------

 5 p.m.

 Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens' attorney says a felony invasion of privacy charge against the Republican is "baseless and unfounded."

 Lawyer Edward Dowd on Thursday said the governor is "absolutely innocent" in response to St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner's announcement of a grand jury indictment against Greitens related to his affair with a woman in 2015.

 Dowd in a statement said Greitens will file a motion to dismiss the charges.

 Gardner launched an investigation in January after Greitens admitted to the affair with his St. Louis hairdresser that began in March 2015. He was elected governor in November 2016.

 The woman told her husband, who was secretly taping the conversation, that Greitens took a compromising photo of her at his home and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke about the affair.

 A news release from Gardner says it is a felony if a person transmits an image "in a manner that allows access to that image via a computer."

 ------

 4:20 p.m.

 A St. Louis grand jury has indicted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge related to the Republican's affair with a woman in 2015.

 St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the indictment Thursday. She launched an investigation in January after Greitens admitted to an affair with his St. Louis hairdresser that began in March 2015. He was elected governor in November 2016.

 The woman told her husband, who was secretly taping the conversation, that Greitens took a compromising photo of her at his home and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke about the affair. A news release from Gardner says it is a felony if a person transmits an image "in a manner that allows access to that image via a computer."

 Messages seeking comment from Greitens and his attorney were not immediately returned.</s>Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens Indicted On A Charge Of Felony Invasion Of Privacy

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens was indicted on one count of felony invasion of privacy and taken into custody in St. Louis in connection with reports of an extramarital affair that surfaced last month.

During that affair, Greitens is alleged to have taken a semi-nude photo of the woman and then threatened to blackmail her by publishing it if she revealed their relationship.

As reported by the Two-Way in January, Greitens, a Republican, confirmed that he had an extramarital affair before he was elected in 2016, but he denied the allegations of blackmail.

"As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor," Greitens said in a statement Thursday posted on Facebook. "I did not commit a crime."

"Missouri law says that ... taking the picture alone is a misdemeanor. What pushes this to the level of a felony was the fact that he put that photo on a computer, and therefore it makes it sort of a low level felony. We know about this incident because the ex-husband of the woman who had the affair recorded the conversation and talked about it with the media."

In the wake of the public exposure of the affair last month, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner opened an investigation leading to this indictment by a St. Louis grand jury.

The name of the woman who had an affair with Greitens has not been disclosed and is referred to only as "K.S." in the indictment.

It alleges that Greitens "knowingly photographed K.S. in a state of full or partial nudity without the knowledge or consent of K.S. and in a place where a person would have a reasonable expectation of privacy, and the defendant subsequently transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer."

In a statement, Gardener said it was essential for residents of St. Louis and Missouri to have confidence in their leaders.

"They must know that the Office of the Circuit Attorney will hold public officials accountable in the same manner as any other resident of our city. Both parties and the people of St. Louis deserve a thorough investigation of these allegations," as quoted by St. Louis Public Radio.

Greitens, a former Navy Seal and Republican with political ambitions beyond the Missouri statehouse, lashed out at the prosecutor on Facebook calling her "a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points." Gardner is a Democrat.</s>ST. LOUIS (AP) – A St. Louis grand jury has indicted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge related to the Republican’s affair with a woman in 2015.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced the indictment Thursday. She launched an investigation in January after Greitens admitted to an affair with his St. Louis hairdresser that began in March 2015. He was elected governor in November 2016.

The woman told her husband – who was secretly taping the conversation – that Greitens took a compromising photo of her at his home and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke about the affair. A news release from Gardner says it is a felony if a person transmits an image “in a manner that allows access to that image via a computer.”

Messages seeking comment from Greitens and his attorney were not immediately returned.</s>CHICAGO: The governor of the US state of Missouri was charged Thursday with criminal invasion of privacy for taking compromising photos of his former mistress without her knowledge, in an alleged blackmail case.

Governor Eric Greitens was taken into custody and booked Thursday, according to the St Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper, after a grand jury issued the felony charge related to allegations that he blackmailed a woman with whom he was having an affair.

Greitens has admitted to the affair in 2015, before he took office as the chief executive of the Midwestern state.

According to the newspaper, Greitens took a photograph of the woman in a compromising pose — bound and partially nude — and threatened to publicize the image if the affair was exposed, charges he denies.

The indictment document says that Greitens “knowingly photographed” an unidentified woman in “a state of full or partial nudity without (her) knowledge or consent.”

“The defendant subsequently transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer.”

The transmission of the photo made the offense a felony rather than a lesser misdemeanor, according to The New York Times.

“As I have stated before, it is essential for residents of the City of St. Louis and our state to have confidence in their leaders,” St Louis prosecutor Kimberly Gardner said in a statement.

“They must know that the Office of the Circuit Attorney will hold public officials accountable in the same manner as any other resident of our city.”

Greitens has said he would not resign and denied blackmail allegations in a previous interview with a local television station.

“There was no blackmail. There was no violence. The mistake that I made was that I was engaged in a consensual relationship with a woman who wasn’t my wife,” the governor told KTVI.

The governor’s lawyer called the criminal charge “baseless and unfounded,” and vowed to file a motion to dismiss, according to the Post-Dispatch.

The governor was released on his own recognizance, without a monetary bond. A court date of March 16 was set for the next hearing in the case. AFP</s>A St. Louis grand jury indicted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge related to the Republican's affair with a woman in 2015. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis grand jury on Thursday indicted Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on a felony invasion of privacy charge for allegedly taking a compromising photo of a woman with whom he had an affair in 2015. The Republican governor responded that he made a mistake but committed no crime.

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner launched an investigation in January after Greitens admitted to an affair with his St. Louis hairdresser that began in March 2015. He was elected governor in November 2016.

Thursday's indictment was followed with an announcement by House Republican leaders that they were forming a group of lawmakers to investigate the charges "and answer the question as to whether or not the governor can lead our state while a felony case moves forward."

In a statement following the indictment , the Republican governor was defiant and attacked the prosecutor who brought the charge.

"As I have said before, I made a personal mistake before I was Governor," he said. "I did not commit a crime. With today's disappointing and misguided political decision, my confidence in our prosecutorial system is shaken, but not broken. I know this will be righted soon. The people of Missouri deserve better than a reckless liberal prosecutor who uses her office to score political points."

Greitens' attorney, in a separate statement, called the indictment "baseless and unfounded."

"In 40 years of public and private practice, I have never seen anything like this," attorney Edward L. Dowd Jr. said.

Gardner's spokeswoman, Susan Ryan, responded: "Despite the Governor's personal attacks, the Circuit Attorney believes the courtroom is the appropriate place to argue the facts, not the media."

Greitens' legal team immediately filed a motion to dismiss the indictment on the grounds that any relationship with the woman was consensual.

Some lawmakers renewed suggestions that Greitens should consider resigning, as they had done when the affair first become public last month.

Democratic state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed of St. Louis called for an impeachment process to begin immediately.

"Gov. Greitens has to go," Nasheed said. "Missourians thought they voted for a person of character and integrity, and instead they got a liar and alleged criminal."

Any impeachment process must begin in the House with an investigation.

The joint statement from House Speaker Todd Richardson, Speaker Pro Tem Elijah Haahr and Majority Leader Rob Vescovo did not specifically mention impeachment while noting that they were initiating an investigation.

The indictment states that on March 21, 2015, Greitens photographed a woman identified only by her initials "in a state of full or partial nudity" without her knowledge or consent. The indictment said Greitens "transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer."

In 2015, the woman told her husband, who was secretly taping the conversation, that Greitens took the compromising photo of her at his home and threatened to use it as blackmail if she spoke about the affair.

The penalty for first-degree invasion of privacy in Missouri is a sentence of up to four years behind bars.

Greitens was taken into custody in St. Louis and released on his own recognizance. He is due in court for his first hearing on March 16, before Circuit Judge Rex Burlison.

Greitens has repeatedly denied blackmailing the woman, but has repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether he took a photo.

The indictment came about a month before the statute of limitations would have run out. The statute of limitations for invasion of privacy in Missouri is three years.

Ryan, asked if additional charges could be filed, said the matter is still under investigation. Several lawmakers were questioned last week by investigators from Gardner's office.

Greitens, the 43-year-old father of two young boys, came into office as a political outsider, a brash Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL officer who was wounded in Iraq, emerging as the winner in a crowded and expensive GOP primary.

A former boxer and martial arts expert, he has embraced the role of maverick. He responded to a Democratic attack ad in the fall of 2016 with one of his own in which he fired more than 100 rounds from a machine gun as an announcer declared he'd bring out "the big guns" to fight Democratic policies championed by then-President Barack Obama.

Greitens surprised many experts by defeating Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster in the November 2016 election. Some saw him as a rising Republican star with potential presidential aspirations.

But governing hasn't always been easy, even though Republicans now control both houses as well as the governor's mansion. Greitens and GOP lawmakers have often clashed, with him comparing some to third-graders and labeling them "career politicians."

He has also faced questions about so-called "dark money" campaign contributions and criticism for stacking the state board of education. His use of a secretive app that deletes messages is under investigation by Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley.

Greitens' charity, The Mission Continues, faced scrutiny during the campaign when Democrats accused him of insider politics for accessing the donor list to raise about $2 million through its top contributors.

AP reporters Summer Ballentine, David A. Lieb and Blake Nelson in Jefferson City, Missouri, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
A grand jury indicts Missouri Governor Eric Greitens on charges of felony invasion of privacy by allegedly threatening to publish a nude photo of the woman he was involved with in a 2015 extramarital affair, if the woman ever disclosed the relationship. Governor Greitens denies the blackmail charge.