CLAYTON, Mo. — St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell has dropped a quo warranto petition to remove Dennis Hancock from his St. Louis County Council seat, three months after nepotism accusations put Hancock under scrutiny.
According to county officials, Hancock hired his stepdaughter on Aug. 19 at a rate of $24.88 per hour. The perks included a $300 monthly vehicle allowance and full benefits. Bell's office claimed the employment arrangement violated a nepotism clause in the Missouri Constitution that prohibits elected officials from hiring a relative.
A spokesperson for Bell's office said on Thursday that withdrawing the petition was in the best interest of the ongoing investigation.
"Our office deputized a Warren County prosecutor with expertise in quo warranto petitions to ensure that we are fulfilling our duty to uphold the Missouri Constitution and enforce the anti-nepotism laws. We have determined that it is in the best interest of the public to continue our investigation of this and related matters; therefore, we are withdrawing the quo warranto petition at this time," Bell's spokesperson, Christopher King, said in a statement.
Shortly after the nepotism claims came out in August, St. Louis County Circuit Judge Julie Lasater ordered District 3 Councilman Dennis Hancock to immediately forfeit his office. Hours later, Circuit Court Judge John Borbonus granted a motion to set aside a portion of Lasater's order, restoring him to his council seat.
"I want my constituents to know that I will fight for my council seat. I'm not going anywhere," Hancock told reporters in August.
In the case a council member is removed from the council, their replacement would be determined in a special election.