JOPLIN, Missouri (KOAM) -- Federal court documents allege that a Republican candidate for the Missouri House of Representatives asked a now former campaign staffer to plant drugs on his opponent. Thomas Ross is the GOP candidate for Missouri State House District 161. The seat represents parts of Jasper County. Authorities booked Ross into the Joplin city jail on Sept. 2 on unspecified charges. Now, the federal court documents show that he is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute a mixture or a substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. According to the documents, a former campaign manager for Ross reached out to the FBI on July 30, 2026. They told investigators that Ross asked them to plant drugs on his Aug. 4 primary opponent, Louise Secker. The former staffer gave law enforcement a “black nylon glove” that he claimed was given to him by Ross in June 2026. Tests by agents would go on to reveal that a substance within a bag in the glove contained cocaine. A capsule, identified as Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance, was also found in the glove. At that time, the FBI gave the informant a audio recorder to use during a meeting at Ross’s home on July 31. “Approximately 1 hour and 18 minutes into the conversation, C.S. told Ross that he still had ‘the bag and addies’ if Ross wanted him to ‘try,’” the court documents state. The affidavit showed that Ross agreed and spoke of a small purse Secker carried. Ross is slated to be on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot, facing Democrat Aaron Metzger. The Missouri Republican Party has called on Ross to withdraw from the race. Metzger’s campaign has not issued at statement as on Wednesday night.
