To the editor:

It doesn’t get much sleazier than the effort by St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch to remove 6th District County Councilman Ernie Trakas from office.

McCulloch claims that legal work done by Trakas for some school districts constitutes a second government job, which the St. Louis County Charter prohibits.

It’s an absurd claim and just another effort by County Executive Steve Stenger to remove Trakas from office.

The councilman is part of the four-member council majority that does not support Stenger. McCulloch and Stenger are allies.

The matter was transferred to St. Charles County, where McCulloch’s buddy, St. Charles Prosecuting Attorney Tim Lohmar, decided Trakas had violated the county Charter — surprise, surprise —  and should give up his office.

Before the matter even went to court, Lohmar sent Trakas a letter in January that virtually demanded he resign. A St. Charles County judge recently held a hearing on the matter and will be ruling in a month or two.

While McCulloch focuses on Trakas, Stenger continues to corrupt county government worse than it has ever been —   but McCulloch does nothing.

Stenger has taken pay-to-play to levels never seen before. He took in $365,000 of campaign contributions just from the developers of the old Northwest Plaza. In return they received no-bid leases from county government that may cost taxpayers $20 million to $30 million more than what they should have.

If anyone in St. Louis County government is to be removed from office it should be Steve Stenger —  with Bob McCulloch right behind him.

Tom Sullivan
University City