Missouri Gov. Greitens charged with second felony

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has been charged with felony computer tampering related to his alleged use of a donor list from his veterans' charity for his 2016 gubernatorial campaign, according to a statement from the circuit attorney of St. Louis.

It's the second felony charge the Missouri Republican is facing. Greitens also faces a felony charge related to accusations from his former mistress who alleges he bound her hands with tape, put a blindfold on her, took a partially nude photo of her and then threated to release the photo if she mentioned his name, according to a Missouri House committee report.

That charge is for invasion of privacy for allegedly taking a partially or fully nude photo and "subsequently transmitted the image contained in the photograph in a manner that allowed access to that image via a computer."

He faces a criminal trial on that charge on May 14.

Greitens' attorneys had made a motion to get those charges dismissed but a judge ruled on Thursday that case can proceed.

The latest charge is a felony tampering with computer data, according to the prosecuting attorney. Prosecutors allege Greitens obtained an electronic donor list without permission from The Mission Continues charity he founded and then used that list for political fundraising as he was preparing to run for the governorship.

Greitens started the organization in 2007 but left it in 2014, before he ran for governor.

The governor has denied all the allegations but he did pay a fine to the state ethics commission for not reporting the list as an in-kind contribution on campaign disclosure forms.

Friday night Greitens put out a statement lashing out at St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner.

"By now, everyone knows what this is: this prosecutor will use any charge she can to smear me. Thank goodness for the Constitution and our court system. In the United States of America, you're innocent until proven guilty," the statement said. "In the United States of America, you get your day in court. And when I have my day in court, I will clear my name. People will know the truth."

Multiple elected officials in the state, including the GOP leaders in both chambers of the state legislature, have called on Greitens to step down. Additionally both Senate candidates - incumbent Democratic Sen. Clarie McCaskill and her GOP opponent, Attorney General Josh Hawley - have called on Greitens to resign from office.

The controversy around Greitens, once seen as a rising star in the Republican Party, has consumed Missouri politics.

On Tuesday, Greitens tweeted that he would not be resigning the governorship and said he will be proven innocent in court.