St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer said she’s disappointed in Sheriff Alfred Montgomery, reiterating that she’s lost confidence in his ability to lead the department.
Spencer made the comments during a Thursday press conference. They come a day after Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed a writ to remove the sheriff, listing six accusations against him, including nepotism for allegedly hiring a half brother, unlawful detainment, failure to responsibly handle finances, unlawfully or fraudulently benefiting from the misuse of public resources and failure to transport detainees from the city jail to hospitals.
“Those actions are serious,” Spencer said. “They shouldn't be handled politically but again, this one right now is in the courts, so we'll see how this plays out.”
A spokesperson for Montgomery couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Bailey announced Tuesday he would start removal proceedings unless Montgomery resigned by noon Wednesday. Montgomery said Tuesday that he wouldn’t step down and would fight the charges in court.
Montgomery’s legal team criticized Bailey’s allegations Wednesday and directly disputed the nepotism claim. His lawyers have also argued that the sheriff’s office isn’t legally responsible for transporting detainees to hospitals, citing a contract from earlier this year.
Bailey’s office said there are documents linking those duties to the sheriff.
Spencer said fulfilling those duties is critical.
“I've been disappointed with the failure to make sure that individuals who need medical assistance haven't been able to get that because of refusals to transport prisoners,” Spencer said. “That's inexcusable in my view.”
Montgomery requested an increase in funding during a budget hearing earlier this month to transport detainees. Several members of the Board of Aldermen sharply criticized his office’s finances, citing several financial woes, including a $500,000 severance payout to about 17 fired sheriff's workers.
When asked if the sheriff should be appointed rather than voted for, Spencer said she didn’t have an answer.
“That's an interesting question … and one I think we should be thinking about,” Spencer said. “I don't mean to dismiss it, I just don't have an opinion that is fully formed at this point, but maybe it's one we should consider.”
