Who is Thomas Ross? Republican accused of trying to plant drugs on opponent

A Republican candidate for the Missouri state House has been charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine after allegedly asking his campaign manager to plant drugs on a primary opponent in an attempt to frame her.

Thomas Christopher Ross, 37, was charged Thursday with one count of conspiring to distribute a controlled substance. Ross won the Republican nomination for Missouri’s House District 161 last month, defeating Louise Secker by 33 votes.

Prosecutors allege that Ross gave his then-campaign manager a black nylon glove containing a small bag of cocaine and an Adderall capsule, and instructed the staffer to place the drugs in Secker’s purse or vehicle while Ross was out of state.

Tests conducted by law enforcement identified the substances as cocaine and amphetamine-dextroamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance sold under the brand name Adderall.

The former campaign manager later cooperated with investigators and secretly recorded Ross after the Joplin Police Department referred the alleged scheme to the FBI, according to court documents.

When the staffer proposed planting the drugs in Secker’s vehicle and sending police an anonymous tip, Ross allegedly replied: “If you can pull it off… pull it off.”

Newsweek has contacted Ross’s campaign for comment by email outside of normal working hours.

This is a developing story. More to follow.