OPINION:
On Feb. 18, Janae Edmondson was walking on a sidewalk in downtown St. Louis with her family when Daniel Riley, who was out on bond after being recharged in a 2020 armed robbery, ran a stop sign and wrecked his car, hitting Janae in the process.
The 17-year-old Tennessee resident ended up losing both of her legs a week after signing up to play college volleyball.
We shouldn’t have to wait for such a horrifying tragedy to hold elected officials accountable for the explosion of crime in U.S. cities. But in St. Louis, that’s precisely what’s happened.
Mr. Riley had violated the conditions of his release at least eight times — the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office had the power and responsibility to respond to these violations and send him back to jail but chose not to — and a young woman’s life has been irrevocably changed because of it.
Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner says it’s “not a time for finger-pointing” and accuses her critics of racism. But in the wake of such a terrible crime, responsibility demands a closer look at the cascade of events that led to this so that it doesn’t happen again.
Ms. Gardner’s unwillingness to prosecute cases that come across her desk — in exchange for a more “soft-on-crime” approach — is directly responsible for this tragedy. Unfortunately, this approach is part of an alarming nationwide trend that demands — and is thankfully receiving — a healthy dose of accountability for its high human cost.
Research from the Foundation for Accountability recently revealed that the billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros has spent nearly $40 million to help elect district and circuit attorneys that he supports. Mr. Soros is known for headlining Democratic and progressive campaigns and causes, and his support for DAs is an extension of that — those he supports are notoriously lenient.
Prosecutors are responsible for prioritizing justice and safety in their communities. But those on Mr. Soros’ campaign donation roll are politically motivated, with many working to abolish cash bail, seek alternatives to incarceration, and reduce charges in, for example, cases of armed robbery.
The foundation’s research shows how Mr. Soros donated millions, and in some cases, billions, to shell groups and PACs that funded the campaigns of far-left prosecutors’ campaigns. For some, Mr. Soros’ contributions made up between 80% and 90% of their entire campaign funding.
Voters would never consciously vote for officials to do less when it comes to keeping dangerous crime at bay and pursuing justice, so this method of bankrolling soft-on-crime officials puts politically motivated prosecutors in positions of power so they can move agendas that couldn’t be enacted any other way.
The result is a distressing rise in crime in cities with Soros-funded, soft-on-crime prosecutors — not just in St. Louis (though it received the lamentable designation of “most dangerous city in the nation” in 2022) but across the country.
In Philadelphia, Mr. Soros funded District Attorney Larry Krasner’s election campaign with a $1 million donation via the Philadelphia Justice & Public Safety PAC, plus more financial assistance for his reelection campaign. Homicides in the City of Brotherly Love have jumped more than 60% since Mr. Krasner took office. Auto thefts have more than doubled.
Los Angeles has seen a 45% increase in homicides and a 20% jump in auto thefts. A committee that supported District Attorney George Gascon received more than $2.5 million from Mr. Soros in 2020.
Some DAs even end up saying the “quiet part” out loud, giving a clear indication of their agenda: Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg received millions from Mr. Soros, too, and openly announced a policy that includes not prosecuting certain crimes and reducing some felonies to misdemeanors.
And in my hometown of St. Louis, the rise in crime since Ms. Gardner was elected circuit attorney has been historic. Mr. Soros donated thousands to her campaign in 2016, and since her election, our city has seen near-record-high homicide numbers in 2020 and an overall increase in homicides and auto thefts. Meanwhile, her office continues to allow cases to pile up, electing not to issue warrants and prosecute offenders.
Janae Edmondson’s life-altering injury is the human cost of prosecutors who don’t prioritize justice and community safety and of a lack of accountability from elected leaders.
The shred of good news is that Americans are catching on, and they are demanding accountability.
San Francisco voters ousted their district attorney, Chesa Boudin, in a recall election last year. The efforts were fueled by concerns about crime in a city where flash mob robberies make headlines and residents and business owners don’t feel safe walking around.
Los Angeles voters recently attempted to recall their DA and were remarkably close to doing so, garnering nearly a million signatures in a recall petition.
And Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has moved to oust St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner from office after she refused to resign.
This is government accountability at work. Other states and locales should look to Americans who have seen the rise in crime in their cities and say, enough is enough. Reforms to ensure that attorneys general can step in when prosecutors refuse to prosecute offer a check and balance to make sure elected officials act in the best interests of those they were elected to represent.
If a prosecutor won’t prosecute offenders, then who will? Who will keep the streets of St. Louis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and everywhere else safe from violent offenders when prosecutors are on the bankroll of leftist activists with an agenda to prove?
When prosecutors can’t or won’t prosecute criminals, they must be held accountable — if for no other reason than so that people can walk our streets without fear.
• Sarah Coffey, a lifelong resident of St. Louis, is senior editor at the Foundation of Government Accountability.
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