Amid FBI inquiry, Jeff Smith cancels class and mulls resigning Mo. Senate seat
State Sen. and University instructor Jeff Smith speaks during an Assembly Series forum on ethics and politics in October 2008. Reports indicate that Smith may resign from office amid a possible FBI inquiry. (Sam Guzik | Student Life)
Reports have surfaced that Washington University instructor and state Sen. Jeff Smith, D-St. Louis, could resign his seat amid a possible federal inquiry regarding his 2004 congressional campaign.
Smith also canceled a course he was to teach this fall called “Topics in American Culture Studies: Contemporary Issues in St. Louis Politics, Culture, and Society,” a school spokeswoman said today in a statement. The course would have been in the American Culture Studies program.
The statement said Smith “asked on Thursday, Aug. 13, to be relieved of those duties and the class was cancelled.” University spokeswoman Sue Killenberg McGinn said she did not know the reason.
Multiple news outlets reported late last week that the FBI was investigating Smith due to allegations he illegally distributed campaign literature during his 2004 congressional bid. The FBI has neither confirmed nor denied the presence of an investigation.
Smith, 35, was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2006 and has since established himself as a rising star in Missouri politics. If he does resign, his promising political career and quick rise in Missouri politics would come to an abrupt end.
Smith’s Jefferson City office has not returned phone calls from Student Life.
Since the state legislature is out of session, any resignation letter would have to go through Gov. Jay Nixon’s office. As of Thursday afternoon, no letter had been received, according to a Nixon spokesman.
Word of his possible resignation has caused a stir among Missouri politicians in recent days.
“I hope it’s not true,” said state Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington. “All you can do is wait and see, I guess.”
Smith last taught at the University in the fall of 2008, when he was a part-time lecturer in political science. At that time, he taught a course called “Topics in Politics: Campaigns and Elections.”
He burst onto the political scene in the questioned 2004 campaign, when he vied for the Democratic nomination for the Third Congressional District, even though he was virtually unknown outside St. Louis.
Smith was a doctoral student in political science at the University and an adjunct instructor in University College at the time.
Though Smith lost, University students’ campaign efforts helped him build a grassroots movement, which led him to win solid majorities in St. Louis and St. Louis County. His opponent, now-U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, edged him 23 to 21 percent in the primary.
Check studlife.com and read Student Life on Monday for further details.
Jeff Smith was the most honest and best senate their ever was. I fallowed his actions and stories all the way from Wisconsin. He screwed up and many other politicians have done the same. But its not a reason to get rid of probably thee best politician in the U.S. and it wasnt even his fault that this happend. He trusted someone, and it wasent a trustworthy person.
[...] taught courses on ethics in politics and campaigning at the University, however the University announced last week that his scheduled class would be [...]
Amen to the above. A terrible “professor” and a total tool. Glad this lovefest is over.
Good riddance. He’s a sleaze and yet another embarassment to the University.
What I think is terrible is the fact that the student newspaper is advertising for the right-to-work folks. Letting them spread their lies about the card check recognition issue.
If they want an even playing field then management should let the employees meet with the unions and management at the same time and have a real debate.
This is ridiculous trash that the Feds are throwing on an honest politician, good teacher, and great man. I hope he makes it through unharmed