Key facts
- Missouri Republican candidate Thomas Ross is accused of plotting to plant drugs on his primary opponent, Louise Secker.
- Ross faces federal charges for conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
- The alleged scheme involved providing cocaine and Adderall to a campaign manager to place in Secker's car or purse.
- Ross narrowly defeated Secker in the Republican primary for Missouri House District 161 by 33 votes.
- The Missouri Republican Party chairman has called for Ross to resign.
Thomas Christopher Ross, the Republican nominee for a Missouri statehouse seat, has been charged in federal court with conspiracy to distribute narcotics. Prosecutors allege Ross plotted to plant drugs on his primary election rival, Louise Secker, in the final months of the race. Ross, 37, won the Republican primary for the 161st district of the Missouri House of Representatives by a narrow margin of 33 votes.
According to a federal complaint and FBI affidavit, Ross spent weeks devising a plan with his campaign manager to surreptitiously place a black nylon glove containing cocaine and a capsule of the prescription stimulant Adderall into Secker's car or purse. The campaign manager would then alert law enforcement through an anonymous tip. The affidavit states the plot was to be executed while Ross was on vacation in June 2026.
Text messages between Ross and his campaign manager, who is not named in court documents, reportedly used coded language. The investigation began when the campaign manager alerted Joplin, Missouri police, who subsequently involved the FBI. The aide provided authorities with the drugs and text messages shared with Ross.
Neither Ross nor his attorneys could be immediately reached for comment. The chairman of the Missouri Republican Party, Peter Kinder, issued a statement calling for Ross to resign, citing the seriousness of the allegations. Secker and her campaign have not yet responded. If convicted, Ross faces a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison.