JEFFERSON CITY - In their zeal to attack the media, Democrat operatives have implicated Jay Nixon for missing critical evidence in a Missouri State Highway Patrol report that could have led to criminal charges against Ameren for the Taum Sauk reservoir collapse.

Gleeful Democrats are rejoicing that the media failed to correctly point out that the names of Ameren employees who removed critical probes at the reservoir were contained in a Missouri State Highway Patrol report. But by pointing out the error, Democrats also implicate Nixon for failing to find the employees’ names in the report despite having received it on April 20.

Nixon said in a statement on May 18 that after reviewing the Highway Patrol’s report that he agreed there was no suspect. "Therefore, the state will not pursue criminal charges in this matter."

Nixon also failed last week to publicly challenge the media by providing proof that the names were in the report, indicating either incompetence or an unwillingness to pursue a key piece of evidence against a large contributor that could have resulted in criminal charges.

“Thanks to Democrats, we now know that Jay Nixon failed to read the investigative report that could have lead to criminal charges against Ameren which raises new questions about what impact the $19,000 in campaign contributions Nixon received from the utility had on his willingness to pursue criminal charges,” said Paul Sloca, communications director for the Missouri Republican Party. “Jay Nixon failed to represent the people of Missouri, he failed to provide accurate information to the Governor and yet his own party is trying to put the blame on the media for misreporting the facts when Nixon is the person who didn’t do his job.”

Investigators said the so-called "Warrick probes" were removed and stacked in a bucket at the bottom of the reservoir by the time Ameren allowed safety inspectors to examine the scene.  The report which Nixon fumbled names the persons who pulled the probes after the breach and clearly calls into question his determination that “there is no suspect in this case.”