Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey is calling for St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery to resign immediately or be forced out of office.
Bailey said Montgomery must resign by noon Wednesday or face removal proceedings via a writ of quo warranto, which gives the attorney general or prosecuting attorney authority to intervene if an elected official is deemed to have acted inappropriately or illegally.
The attorney general accused Montgomery of misconduct and instability in a statement.
“Given the widely published and disturbing allegations, the Attorney General’s Office is prepared to act on behalf of the citizens of St. Louis,” Bailey wrote. “As the elected Sheriff of the City of St. Louis, he is legally and ethically responsible for the conduct of his office.”
At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Montgomery said he wouldn't step down.
“Let me be very clear, very clear that I will not resign,” Montgomery said. “I was elected by the people of St. Louis to serve as their sheriff, and I intend to honor that commitment.”
He also touted raising pay for deputies and investments in the department.
Montgomery didn’t take questions, but his lawyer, retired Judge David C. Mason, spoke on the quo warranto, criticizing the attorney general’s writ and claiming there’s no basis for ousting the sheriff.
“We have due process of law, courts in witness examination, judges presiding over these things,” Mason said. “These are the kinds of things that have to happen.”
Bailey’s writ cites accusations of financial mismanagement, workplace misconduct and a failure by Montgomery to perform his duties.
Bailey’s call for removal is just the latest dispute involving the sheriff, who has been in office about a half-year. A former sheriff’s deputy is suing Montgomery for defamation after alleging he was illegally fired by Montgomery and forced to roll a pair of dice to keep his job. Tammy Ross, a deputy jail commissioner, is also suing Montgomery for having her handcuffed and is alleging false imprisonment, battery and civil rights violations. Several members of the Board of Aldermen criticized Montgomery in a hearing earlier this month over his office’s budget woes, including his refusal to transfer detainees to hospitals, citing a lack of funds, and firings that led to a $500,000 severance payout to about 17 sheriff's workers.
Mason also questioned claims that the sheriff’s department was in charge of transporting people from the city jail to hospitals, citing a city contract that said the city will provide transportation.
Last month, the Holy Joe Society, a nonprofit legal advocacy group, sent a letter to Bailey, St. Louis Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore and City Counselor Michael Garvin calling on Montgomery to resign. The group also accused Montgomery of having staff members drive his children to school.
Bailey’s office has started a public tip line for any information regarding misconduct allegations.
Bailey has issued writs of quo warranto in the past. In 2023, he filed a writ to oust then-Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner. She resigned from office later that year.
This story has been updated with comments from St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery and his lawyer.
