De Beers Questions Monomi's State Leadership

CNS Congresswoman calls situation at state capitol 'childish'

MONOMI CITY, MON--Amidst the corruption and prostitution scandal that has enveloped Monomi Governor Scott King Jr. (NAT), Conservative Congresswoman Cathy De Beers has joined the growing list of Monomi politicians to question the governor's ability to govern.

De Beers, who represents the strongly conservative 17th Congressional District, is the latest in a string of Conservatives to either call for the governor's resignation, or strongly suggest he should step down.

Speaking to GNN's James Madine Friday, De Beers said King has "crossed the fine line that separates governance from simply holding an office," and suggested the governor "ought to think about his future."

"I've been sitting here watching everything unfold just like everyone else," De Beers told Madine. "And I know there are politics being played by both sides. But I also know that Governor King is in a very difficult situation, whether he committed a crime or not. And I think he needs to go home and think about his future."

Last week, King won a major victory when Monomi's Attorney General, Ed Casey (NAT), announced there was not enough evidence to warrant an indictment against the once-popular two-term governor. In June, federal investigators cleared King. The investigation was then handed over to Casey's office, which made its announcement last week.

Expectedly, Conservatives were outraged when Attorney General Casey announced no charges would be filed. Many CNS state legislators and party officials have suggested Casey is protecting King by not filing an indictment. On Tuesday, Mr. Casey rejected that idea, calling it "baseless."

"I am the Attorney General. I am the state's top law enforcement official. And what I do and what decisions I make are made solely based on evidence, or the lack thereof. And in this case, the governor happens to be of the same political party as me. But the fact is there is just not enough evidence to move forward with an indictment," Casey told reporters.

Congresswoman De Beers seemed to doubt Mr. Casey's story.

"I think doing your job is important, and unfortunately, what we've seen over the last several months is, we've seen partisan politics at its finest. We've seen friends and political allies of the governor stepping up to defend him and to cover for him. And we can't have that. We can't have people covering up for the governor. That is a crime," De Beers said.

Ms. De Beers also took aim at Monomi's Lieutenant Governor, Erica Kinsley (NAT), who almost immediately called for King's resignation upon hearing the allegations facing him. Kinsley says the governor is distracted and not focused on important issues facing the state. However, Conservatives and Nationalists alike question Kinsley's motives. Many believe she is adamant about the governor's resignation because she is planning on running to succeed Mr. King in 2010, and the scandal may tarnish her candidacy.

"I think a lot of people are questioning her motives," De Beers said. "It's almost as if she's pushing [King] out the door, and I think the question here really is, is she calling for him to step down because she legitimately feels he needs to go? Or is she doing it for purely political reasons. That is a very big question, and that's something that only Erica Kinsley can answer. My hope is that she's doing it for the right reason and not for a political advantage."

The center of the scandal himself, Governor King, has traded barbs with his now-estranged lieutenant. After Kinsley attended anti-King rallies calling for the governor's resignation, King called for Kinsley's resignation. Ironically, as both the governor and lieutenant governor call for each other to resign, neither one is doing so.

"It's just so childish. We can do so much better," De Beers said of the scandal, perhaps hinting she may run for office in 2010. The Congresswoman wouldn't elaborate, but many believe she is considereing a run for the senate, to fill the seat left be retiring Senator Debra York (CNS).

Though he will not face charges, Governor King is still facing a recall election, currently set for March 7, 2010. That date could change if the governor successfully appeals the recall effort. Impeachment proceedings are also underway against the governor, however, those proceedings were halted until Attorney General Casey announced the findings of his six week-long investigation.