51黑料

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Gov. Mike Kehoe is criticizing one of his newly minted police board picks for taking a job with the embattled city sheriff鈥檚 office.

Sonya Jenkins-Gray, one of five Kehoe appointees to the panel taking control of 51黑料 police, said Wednesday afternoon she will start next week as Sheriff Alfred Montgomery鈥檚 new human resources director, with an annual salary of $95,000. Montgomery, who the state attorney general is currently trying to kick out of office, said Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 hire would enable 鈥渁nother giant step toward remaking the Sheriff鈥檚 Office.鈥�

But Wednesday night, Kehoe鈥檚 office put out a statement saying he thinks Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 new job 鈥渃reates the potential for conflict with her board duties.鈥�

The department Jenkins-Gray oversees as a board member is still working with the FBI on an investigation of Montgomery having a city jail official handcuffed in February, a police spokesman said Wednesday. And that incident is one of several actions Attorney General Andrew Bailey has cited in his bid to oust Montgomery.

鈥淚f Ms. Jenkins-Gray does not resign and continues to serve on the board,鈥� the statement said, 鈥渟he will have to address those concerns with the Missouri Senate during her confirmation process.鈥�

Jenkins-Gray, who was fired as the head of the city鈥檚 civil service for using public resources for a personal trip to Jefferson City, could not immediately be reached for comment.

She said Wednesday that she had no comment on the controversies that have engulfed the sheriff鈥檚 office in recent months. But she has gone through some public trials of her own.

Her troubles began last July when, on a workday, she had a top aide drive her in a city car to a hotel in Jefferson City where her husband, the politically influential Rev. Darryl Gray, was meeting with his ex-wife. The city argued it was a fireable offense that violated city vehicle policy and put an underling in a highly inappropriate situation.

A series of embarrassing public hearings ensued, where Jenkins-Gray was asked probing questions about her relationship with her husband.

Then an oversight panel wrote in a report that she had 鈥渄isplayed a gross lack of judgment鈥� and 鈥渟et a troublesome example for City employees.鈥�

Former Mayor Tishaura O. Jones fired her in early March.

But she made a bit of a comeback when Kehoe appointed her to the powerful new police board last month. A release announcing the pick called her 鈥渁 nationally recognized human resources executive with more than two decades of leadership experience in both the public and private sectors.鈥�

Late Wednesday, David Mason, a retired city circuit judge serving as Montgomery鈥檚 government attorney, said the sheriff鈥檚 office does not share the governor鈥檚 concern about Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 new job.

He brushed off questions about a potential conflict with the handcuffing investigation, arguing that Jenkins-Gray could recuse herself from board discussions on the matter. That shouldn鈥檛 preclude her from dealing with all the other issues at the board, he said.

He said it鈥檚 Jenkins-Gray鈥檚 call to make. 鈥淭he sheriff will support her regardless of her decision,鈥� he said.

The Legislature is expected to take up all of Kehoe鈥檚 appointments when they return for a new session in January.