Mayor Tishaura Jones is having clashes with KSDK News 5, and Twitter is all in on it.
Hello, and welcome to the exciting world of St. Louis politics and the Twitter you tweets. In addition to all the other exciting drama unfolding in the city, we have a boxing match going down at City Hall.
For instance, KSDK News 5, who makes their home blocks away from the ‘palace,’ has a bad bone to post about our stately mayor Tishaura Jones. It is Tweeted that they are upset that Jones and other elected officials are honoring a boycott request from IBEW 4 members at the station, those that are working without a contract.
So, in addition to that tweeted heat, KSDK decided to stir the witches brew a bit, by posting some text messages that belong to Jones. And faithfully, the world of St. Louis Twitter was there to take it all in.
Because someone blatantly took the time out of their busy life, to gather an article by KSDK and shared it on social media.
Moreover, this is simply sad in my opinion, we need to fix a broken 911 system, get these destructive kids out of downtown-before we have nothing-and prepare for a huge weekend, while our treasured Cardinals are away.
But all eyes are focused on text messages and compelling babblings.
Let me roll out the Bud:
Author: Mark Maxwell
Published: 9:09 PM CDT July 5, 2023
Updated: 8:41 AM CDT July 6, 2023
In a radio interview, Mayor Jones said, “Please don’t sunshine my phone.” We did anyway. The text messages reveal a deep resentment of State Sen. Steve Roberts.
ST. LOUIS — In a candid compilation of colorful text messages obtained by 5 On Your Side, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones spoke with several members of her inner circle about a strategy to foil State Sen. Steve Roberts’ political ambitions for higher citywide office.
Roberts, an attorney by trade, was named in a “voter survey” conducted on May 6, just two days after former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner announced her resignation. The results listed Roberts at the top of the pack with 47% of support to become the city’s next prosecutor, far higher than the second-highest placing person with 11%.
The video above is prior reporting.
The poll summary appeared in a group chat with the mayor, her father Virvus Jones, and her longtime political advisor Richard Callow.
Callow sent the document to the other two. Mayor Jones asked where it came from. He said he didn’t know.
“Somebody has been busy,” Virvus Jones remarked. “Is it being distributed to the press?”
“Yes,” Callow replied.
“The Gov ain’t picking him,” the mayor responded. “And we mobilize to make sure his ass gets dragged.”
“Yes,” the mayor’s dad agreed.
Mayor Jones’ spokesman Nick Desideri said in a statement, “This shouldn’t be news or a surprise to anyone. Mayor Jones has been open and honest about her thoughts regarding him for years.”
“Clearly, these messages are the embodiment of what is wrong with city politics,” Roberts responded to 5 On Your Side. “The mayor’s felon father who was convicted for embezzling money from the city. Her political operatives who run the elections for the mayor’s supporters on the Board. Who’s really in charge here?”
Roberts’ claim isn’t quite right. Federal courts convicted Jones on tax fraud charges after prosecutors indicted him for laundering stolen life insurance funds through his campaign account and using the money for personal benefit. No allegation was made that Jones, the former city comptroller, ever embezzled government funds.
He claimed the mayor’s reason to oppose him stemmed from a family feud from 15 years ago.
“After the Mayor’s father got out of federal prison, my family gave her father a second chance when no one would hire him. He was fired in 2008 and they’ve had a vendetta against us ever since.”
Days before the mayor was discussing Roberts’ poll numbers with her father and advisor, Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said he would look to Jones and other city leaders for input as he set out to appoint Gardner’s replacement as the top prosecutor in a city riddled with high crime and courts backlogged with thousands of cases.
The day after her conversation with her dad and advisor, Jones appeared on KMOX Radio on Wednesday, May 10, to respond to questions about the governor’s effort to replace Gardner.
Jones said her phone was “blowing up” from people who wanted her blessing to seek the position, and joked that she hoped no one pursued her phone records under the Sunshine Act.
“Please don’t sunshine my phone,” the mayor said with a laugh.
5 On Your Side submitted an open records request seeking those records that same day. When the city turned them over, the text messages appear to show prospective appointees were lobbying the mayor for her support within a few minutes of Parson’s news conference describing his next steps in the appointment process.
“Why are people blowing me up with replacement suggestions?” Mayor Jones asked in a group chat with her Chief of Staff Jared Boyd and campaign manager Rosetta Okohson-Reb. “The ink is barely dry on her letter!”
“The worst part is this rumor that SR [Steve Roberts] is going to be appointed as his replacement.”
“Anyone noteworthy,” Boyd asked.
“Nicolle Barton mentioned Judge Mullen,” Jones replied. “Hmmm….”
Then, the group started poking fun at a tweet posted by former Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, who faces federal indictment for perjury and mortgage fraud charges.
“Absolutely ridiculous! Another example of the targeting of Progressive Black women prosecutors,” Mosby said about Gardner’s resignation in a since-deleted tweet.
“Like Baltimore Marilyn Mosby?” Okohson-Reb replies.
“Yes. THAT Marilyn Mosby,” Jones replied. “Girl bye.”
“FED inditement (sic) Marilyn gotta chill,” Okohson-Reb responded.
“Prosecutors with extracurricular activities,” Boyd chimed in.
“Is that how you phrase it on the resume nowadays,” Okohson-Reb asked. “With extracurriculars?”
One Tweet sarcastically blasted Channel 5 for this report, quoting “Shame on You KSDK.”
Finally, there was more, and you can click my link and go directly to KSDK’s site to continue with the story. Because, I think there is so much more we could be doing besides dealing with this mess.
So, is KSDK just being messy?Who knows.
Update from Mayor Jones:
