© 2024 University of Missouri - KBIA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Prosecutor: No Charges On Missouri Work With Trucking Firm

A Missouri prosecutor says he won't press charges related to allegations of conflicts of interest between state agencies and a trucking technology company.

The Highway Patrol and Department of Transportation fell under scrutiny because agency officials had served on the board of a company called HELP Inc. that for years received the only state contract to provide technology allowing truckers to bypass Missouri weigh stations.

But Cole County Prosecutor Mark Richardson on Thursday said he found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Democratic Auditor Nicole Galloway cited concerns after auditing the agencies, and Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley recommended Richardson press charges.

Galloway says Richardson's decision is "disappointing." An attorney General spokeswoman says the office stands by its position that there was probable cause to charge the former state employees.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.