JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. _ Missouri's Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Thursday ended his investigation into allegations U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley illegally used public resources for his political campaign, saying in a final report that he did not find cause to believe Hawley or the attorney general's office violated the law.
"Because the documents my office reviewed and the interviews conducted do not show that there is reasonable and trustworthy information that an offense has been committed," Ashcroft wrote, "a probably cause statement will not be forwarded to the local prosecutor and this investigation is closed."
Hawley could not be immediate reached for comment.
Ashcroft's investigation was sparked by an October report by The Kansas City Star that revealed out-of-state political consultants gave direct guidance and tasks to taxpayer-funded staff in the attorney general's office.
The consultants, who would go on to lead Hawley's Senate campaign, led meetings with staff during business hours in the state Supreme Court building in Jefferson City, where the attorney general's office is located.
Earlier this week, The Star reported Hawley also occasionally used a state-owned car, driven by a state employee, to travel to political events.
Ashcroft's seven-page report on his investigation notes that his office contacted 11 individuals, with only one declining to be interviewed. He determined that the consultants' role in the office was to "provide guidance to senior staff" on office priorities and also on "how to run a government entity" and communicate with the media.
This was done, according to Ashcroft's report, because the majority of Hawley's staff had no government experience.
Ashcroft said Hawley's former staff in the attorney general's office said they "did not feel that they had to follow the advice" of of the consultants, and Hawley's eventual run for U.S. Senate "was never brought up during any of the meetings or conference calls."
Hawley's senior staff were all using their private email addresses to communicate with the campaign consultants, not their government-issued email that would be automatically subject to the state's Sunshine Law.
The consultants said this was because these were the email addresses they had for the staff.
The consultants were used to "advance Attorney General Hawley's priories as Attorney General," Ashcroft concluded. "There is nothing showing that the consultants were used to promote him as a candidate."
Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway is also investigating the allegations against Hawley as part of a routine audit of his former office. Ashcroft had requested Galloway's assistance on the investigation because her office has subpoena powers.
Ashcroft wrote that Galloway's subpoena powers "were not needed" because the attorney general's office provided all requested documents.
Galloway's spokeswoman declined comment.
