93.9 The Eagle – The News and Talk of Columbia, MO
A GOP state senator from southwest Missouri who led the successful filibuster against Donald Kauerauf’s nomination as the state health director says Kauerauf wasn’t truthful and honest with him. Kauerauf resigned this week, after he was not confirmed to the post.
State Sen. Mike Moon (R-Ash Grove) says Kauerauf told him things privately that he contradicted during his testimony this week. Moon says it involved “Project Shield USA” and a contact tracing program.
“And he pulled from his coat pocket his phone and he said yeah I have an app like that. He was referring to an app used in Colorado for contact tracing. And so when I asked him about it in the committee hearing, he denied even knowing anything about it,” Moon says.
Senator Moon tells 939 the Eagle’s “Gary Nolan show” that Kauerauf might have been inclined to roll out strict lockdowns like Illinois did, where Kauerauf previously worked.
GOP Governor Mike Parson has released a statement, describing what happened to Kauerauf as disgraceful. The governor has released a statement, which reads, in part: “It’s unfortunate that we now have to disrupt state operations and the leadership at an entire department because the Missouri Senate chose to indulge a few men’s egos.”
We asked Senator Moon about the governor’s response, including that statement.
“I don’t care if the (Missouri) governor is Green Party, Communist, Republican or Democrat. We are a nation of laws, not of men. And we cannot allow a man, and he’s talking about egos here. He must be talking about his own ego, it was bruised apparently,” Moon says.
You can hear the full interview with Senator Moon here.
The governor’s statement also says, in part: “I’ve been a conservative Republican my entire life and contrary to what some senators believe, tarnishing a man’s character by feeding misinformation, repeating lies and disgracing 35 years of public health experience is not what it means to be conservative.”
Governor Parson has appointed Richard Moore as DHSS’ acting director. Mr. Moore serves as the department’s general counsel.
Didn’t he get fired in Illinois? If so why?