Missouri governor says St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner should resign over public safety concerns

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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson called Thursday for the resignation of embattled Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner – just hours before the state attorney general began the process to remove her.

"There’s plenty of evidence right now that she is not doing what she needs to be doing as prosecutor of St. Louis City," Parson said Thursday, according to local outlet Fox 2.

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Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (Rich Sugg/The Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Parson gave the statement as an aside at a press conference discussing a lawsuit filed against President Biden's Waters of the United States rule. 

The governor continued, "I believe that’s not just my opinion. When you look at a record that’s been consistent with violent crime in the area, this is nothing new. It’s just a matter that’s probably brought it up to the top."

Gardner was elected in 2016 on a platform of reforming the criminal justice system.

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Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner was told by Attorney General Andrew Bailey to announce her resignation by noon Thursday. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)

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On Wednesday, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey gave Gardner until noon Thursday to announce her resignation, after a motorist who repeatedly violated his bond conditions on earlier charges crashed and injured a teenage volleyball player.

Gardner refused to resign, and the AG's office is now in the process of filing a petition quo warrantor, which is the legal mechanism under state statute that allows the attorney general to remove a prosecutor who is neglectful in her duties.

Democratic St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner has faced widespread calls for her resignation on the grounds she has failed to perform the basic obligations of her office.

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Gardner has faced widespread calls for her resignation on the grounds she has failed to perform the basic obligations of her office.

Since being elected, Gardner has butted heads publicly with other government officials and faced lawsuits for allegedly ignoring public records requests.

Fox News' Stephen Sorace and Lawrence Richard contributed to this report.