Missouri Senate Minority Leader Doug Beck has filed a misconduct complaint against Attorney General Catherine Hanaway, alleging improper depiction of the Missouri General Assembly in a federal redistricting lawsuit. The complaint, filed last week, centers on Hanaway’s decision to list the entire General Assembly as a plaintiff without seeking their consent or a vote.
The dispute stems from a lawsuit challenging a potential referendum on Missouri’s newly drawn congressional map. The referendum, if accomplished, would require voter approval of the map. Hanaway’s lawsuit argues the referendum would unlawfully infringe upon the General Assembly’s authority over redistricting. Beck contends the attorney General overstepped her bounds by including the legislature as a party without proper authorization.
According to the complaint, Hanaway “neither obtained consent from the Missouri General Assembly to represent it in this lawsuit, nor sought any action from the Missouri General Assembly to participate in the objectives of such a suit.” Beck stated, “Even though this lawsuit names the Missouri general Assembly as a plaintiff, I had no knowledge of the Attorney General’s intent to initiate such suit prior to its filing.”
Beck is requesting the Office of Chief Disciplinary Council, an agency of the Missouri Supreme Court responsible for investigating attorney misconduct, to open an examination into Hanaway’s actions. He previously expressed his concerns in a letter to Hanaway earlier this month, stating, ”We never had a vote. adn we think that quite possibly, that’s an illegal action by the Attorney General, and we really want some answers on why this happened.”
The Attorney General’s office has not yet responded to requests for comment. The complaint raises questions about the scope of the Attorney General’s authority to represent state entities in legal proceedings and the requirement for legislative approval before being drawn into litigation.
