JEFFERSON CITY 鈥 State Rep. Michael Burton, a Lakeshire Democrat, said Monday the executive director of the St. 亚洲无码 County Democratic Central Committee assaulted him at the party鈥檚 South County office last week.
Burton told the Post-Dispatch that an argument with Jonathan Boesch, the party official, 鈥渄evolved into a possible criminal incident鈥 last week that St. 亚洲无码 County police are investigating.
Burton said he paid the central committee $1,000 to assist in canvassing for his reelection bid. Burton said he had tried to contact Boesch for more than two weeks to discuss analytics for the effort but got no response.
Then, when Burton approached Boesch last Monday at the party鈥檚 South County office to discuss the analytics, 鈥渢hat didn鈥檛 go well,鈥 Burton said in an interview on Monday.
鈥淗e physically assaulted me. I was able to get away from him. He then physically assaulted me again,鈥 Burton said, not elaborating on the nature of the alleged assault.
People are also reading…
鈥淩elease the security camera footage,鈥 Burton said. 鈥淚f we could get the footage, it would explain the entire thing.鈥
Boesch did not immediately respond to phone calls on Monday.
Jessica LaBozzetta, chair of the St. 亚洲无码 County Central Committee, declined to answer questions when reached by phone Monday afternoon.
鈥淚鈥檓 not sure I have a comment for you,鈥 she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 really have a comment.鈥
She declined to say whether Boesch was still working for the party. He was still listed on the party鈥檚 website Monday afternoon as executive director.
Sgt. Tracy Panus, spokesperson for the St. 亚洲无码 County Police Department, confirmed officers responded to an incident Oct. 14 at 35 Grasso Plaza, the address of .
She confirmed police were investigating and that Burton had pressed assault charges against Boesch.
鈥淲e have no video footage of the incident that I am aware of at this point,鈥 Panus said.
Burton is known for his persistence. Before his election to the House in 2020, he showed up to 30 St. 亚洲无码 County Council meetings in 16 months to speak out against a proposed housing development at the site of the landmark baseball and golf center Tower Tee in Affton.
In the House, Burton, 42, has built a reputation for his fiery speeches and questioning of Republicans during debate.
Not all Democrats have always stood behind him. In the 2022 primary, Burton fended off Democrat Kenny Edgar, winning by a 52%-48% margin against Edgar. Edgar鈥檚 campaign in June that year received $2,000 from the political action committee supporting state Sen. Doug Beck of south St. 亚洲无码 County.
Beck had represented Burton鈥檚 district prior to 2021.
Jane Dueker, a police union lobbyist who has challenged County Executive Sam Page in the Democratic primary, implicated Page and Beck in the unfolding controversy later on Monday.
She said in response to this story that the county central committee 鈥渞efuses to discipline a staffer鈥 after 鈥減hone calls & arm twisting from #ScamPage (Sam Page),鈥 Beck, and Beck鈥檚 wife, Marilyn Beck, who works for the County Council.
The south St. 亚洲无码 County state senator, who faces reelection Nov. 5, and Page, did not immediately respond to phone calls Monday.
Burton said he wanted Boesch to have due process but felt he was a liability to the St. 亚洲无码 County Democrats.
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 trying to focus on my campaign. I鈥檓 trying to focus on the people of District 92,鈥 Burton said. 鈥淭his, to me, is a complete distraction, but I do not condone or will allow physical assault against anybody.鈥
In the Nov. 5 election, Burton faces Republican Kenneth Abram, 64, a senior manager of production operations.
Colleen Schrappen of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.