On Melissa Price Smith’s first day as St. Louis County’s new Prosecuting Attorney, she dismissed charges against St. Louis County Clerk Diann Valenti.

Valenti was indicted on Dec. 18 over her alleged role in covering up Dennis Hancock’s nepotism hire. 

“Ms. Valenti was interviewed by police. Based upon that and a review of all of the evidence, this office will not be proceeding with charges,” Chris King, a spokesperson for the St. Louis County Prosecutor’s office, stated in a press release.

On Aug. 14, Hancock formally appointed his stepdaughter, Hollie Galati, to be his legislative assistant at a rate of $24.88 per hour, adding up to a salary of $51,888 per year. This also included a $300 monthly vehicle allowance and full benefits. 

Galati completed employment paperwork stating that she was a non-merit, non-civil service employee working for Hancock, accepting her salary, job duties and benefits on Aug. 19. 

At the time she was hired, both Hancock and Galati acknowledged that they were related. This became problematic as per the Missouri Constitution, “any public officer or employee in this state who by virtue of his office or employment names or appoints to public office or employment any relative within the fourth degree, by consanguinity or affinity, shall thereby forfeit his office or employment.”

Bell filed a quo warranto petition on Aug. 27. Hancock was briefly barred from his duties as an elected official, though a separate judge reinstated him with “full authority” in time for the council’s Aug. 27 meeting.

In November, Bell withdrew the petition so his office could continue its investigation on the matter. He refiled the quo warranto petition on Dec. 26.

Continued investigation revealed an email from Aug. 27 – the day the initial quo warranto petition was filed – in which Galati told Valenti that she no longer wanted the job, requesting that any hours she worked be considered voluntary and unpaid. 

Valenti, acting with others, then tried to switch Galati’s status from “new hire” to “rejected.” Per court documents, Valenti sent emails to county staff stating that Galati resigned, was only a volunteer or never started. 

Further emails sent from Aug. 27-29 show St. Louis County payroll employees referring to conversations they had with Valenti about not finishing the hiring process for Galati. The emails show county employees knowingly – or unknowingly – being involved in the coverup.

As Galati was later found to have worked for Hancock, the Fair Labor Standards Act required that she be paid for the hours she worked, despite how few. Regardless of requests from Valenti, Galati’s paperwork and payroll was processed, and she was paid $1,182.47. Hancock represented to the public that Galati was never paid. 

Valenti gave Hancock falsified screenshots showing that Galati was not paid. The falsified screenshots were sent by Hancock to a paid lobbyist who posted them as “proof” that Hancock did not violate the law. 

On Sept. 19, St. Louis County employees in payroll received a certified letter from Galati alleging that she never worked in St. Louis County and that she never gave permission to St. Louis County employees to deposit money in her account. She demanded that  St. Louis County reverse its direct deposit. Multiple county employees concluded Galati did, in fact, work for the county and that, under the law, they could not change the check or money involved. 

The quo warranto aims to remove Hancock from his seat on the council immediately, though it is unclear how soon or if it will happen.