A nonprofit legal advocacy group is calling for the ouster of St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery.
The Holy Joe Society sent a letter to Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore and City Counselor Michael Garvin calling on them to remove Montgomery from office.
“Based on published reports, the Society submits that Sheriff Montgomery is guilty of willful or fraudulent violations or neglect of official duty, and has knowingly or willfully failed to perform official acts which by law it was his duty to perform with respect to the criminal laws of the state,” society chair Emily Perez wrote.
The society cited accusations that the sheriff has had his employees drive his kids to and from school, had the city’s acting corrections commissioner handcuffed without reason, forced an employee to roll dice to avoid being fired and assigned insufficient deputies to protect the courthouse.
On its website, the Holy Joe Society states that its mission is “using persuasion, education and litigation to challenge improper activities of Missouri local government.” In February the organization similarly sent a letter to St. Louis Public Schools outlining concerns about the district’s expenditures.
Montgomery’s office said in a statement that the society’s claims “are based on false and misleading media reports, not verified by facts. We urge the public and officials to reserve judgement until all facts are thoroughly reviewed through proper legal channels, not driven by hearsay or speculation.”
