JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. _ Temperatures hovered around freezing Wednesday morning, and mild wind gusts stirred the cold air. About 10 journalists shuffled around outside the Jefferson City Police Department.
The evening before, Jefferson City Republican state Rep. Jay Barnes, who is chairing a committee that ultimately could lead to the impeachment of Gov. Eric Greitens, told reporters that it would be "wasting your time" to try to get details on forthcoming secret committee hearings.
The first of those closed hearings was set for 8 a.m. Wednesday inside the Police Department. At about 12:15 p.m., Barnes and the other committee members exited the building. Asked who testified and whether the testimony would be released publicly, Barnes would not say.
"I love your doggedness," he said before driving away. "I think you're wasting your time asking questions. You're wasting my time asking questions. There will be a point in time at which you will know what you need to know."
A St. Louis grand jury last month handed up an indictment on a felony invasion of privacy charge against Greitens. He is accused of taking and transmitting a compromising, nonconsensual picture of his lover in March 2015. Mainstream news media have not named the woman at the center of the story, who has never agreed to an interview and may be the victim of a crime.
Her ex-husband in January released an audio recording he said he secretly recorded of his then-wife in 2015 in which she accuses Greitens of snapping the photograph. She said he threatened to release it if she spoke of their relationship.
On Wednesday, Clayton lawyer Albert S. Watkins, who represents the ex-husband, said that one of his clients had been asked to testify before the House committee, though he declined to give more details.
"All I can tell you is a client has been asked," he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
In addition to the ex-husband, Watkins also represents a former male stripper who is seeking a pardon from Greitens for his invasion of privacy conviction dating back two decades. Watkins said he no longer represents Eli Karabell, who said he volunteered for Greitens' inauguration festivities and had spoken with the FBI.
Outside the police station, Bob Watson, a 29-year veteran of the Jefferson City News Tribune, stood near the Police Department. He wore a sweater, a blazer and an overcoat.
"It seems like a waste of time," Watson said, "and yet there's always a possibility that somebody will come out and say something."
There were no indications that would be the case. The Police Department's blinds were drawn. Black plastic covered the glass doors on the side of the building. The police snipped out peek holes so that they could see the frozen spectacle.
Will Schmitt, a Capitol reporter for the Springfield News-Leader, stood facing the side entrance. He wore a blazer.
"Should've brought a coat," he said.
"It's understandable, I guess, given the circumstances," he said when asked what he thought of the closed meeting. "Obviously my inclination is to want to know as much as possible so I can tell people what's going on back in Springfield. But like you said, it is what it is."
The circumstances Schmitt referenced are unprecedented.
Greitens could be the first Missouri governor to be impeached. The woman at the center of the story may be the victim of a crime, giving investigators and media reason to conceal her identity unless she chooses to come forward.
It was unclear Wednesday whether Greitens, the ex-husband or the woman appeared or will appear before the committee.
St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner may be interested in other matters, including whether Greitens violated any laws stemming from his relationship with his former charity, The Mission Continues. Attorney General Josh Hawley, a Republican, also is investigating the veterans charity.
The House investigative committee could also be probing matters beyond Greitens' extramarital affair.
On Wednesday morning, after state Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, tweeted that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was investigating Greitens, a spokeswoman in the New York office would not divulge any information.
"We're going to decline comment," Amy Spitalnick told the Post-Dispatch in an email.
Meanwhile, noted defense attorney Scott Rosenblum said Wednesday that he is joining the team of lawyers defending Greitens in the criminal case.
Greitens' defense team already includes Jim Bennett, Ed Dowd, Jack Garvey, Jim Martin and Michelle Nasser.
In a statement Wednesday, Rosenblum said: "I was asked to join the trial team on behalf of the governor and I was honored to accept. It is an opportunity to work with outstanding lawyers on a great team and join in the effort to establish our governor's innocence, which we profoundly believe he is."
