Missouri governor acknowledges affair, denies blackmail allegations

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens admitted to having had an extramarital affair, but denied that he blackmailed the woman to keep it under wraps.

Greitens, a former Navy SEAL whose seven military awards include the Bronze Star, became the first Jewish governor of Missouri when he was elected in November 2016.

The affair, which happened in March 2015, before Greitens became governor, was first reported by St. Louis TV station KMOV.

The governor admitted to the affair late Wednesday night, just hours after delivering his second “State of the State” speech.

The ex-husband of the woman with whom Greitens had the affair provided a secretly recorded tape of her confession to him, which included details of their first encounter. The woman, who met Greitens because she cut his hair, said that Greitens took a photo of her in a compromising position to use if she ever came forward about the affair.

— JTA

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