With no reply from state, St. Louis County moving forward to replace Wesley Bell

CLAYTON — With no response received Friday from Missouri officials, St. Louis County will move ahead with picking a replacement for Prosecuting Attorney Wesley Bell. St.

Louis County Executive Sam Page “will continue reviewing applicants and probably name a replacement in the next couple of weeks,” spokesperson Doug Moore said. Last week, state Attorney General Andrew Bailey challenged the county, claiming that the power to name a successor to Bell belonged exclusively to Gov. Mike Parson.



Bell will resign his office before Jan. 3, when he will be sworn in as the U.S.

Representative for the 1st Congressional District. On Friday, Bailey’s office did not respond to telephone calls, emails or text messages. As it stands, both Parson’s office and Page’s office have opened up application processes for those interested in becoming the county’s new top prosecutor.

In a letter on Nov. 7 to Page, Bailey said any attempt by St. Louis County to name the replacement “would likely be a violation of the (Missouri) Constitution.

” After giving the county until Monday to reply, County Counselor Dana Redwing shot back a response Monday afternoon. In her letter, Redwing claimed Bailey “ignored” the part of the state Constitution that gives first-class counties with charters the power to name the replacement. “There is no basis for the Governor to try to usurp this local right,” Redwing said.

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