<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/missouri/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Missouri’s</a> former director of <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/tag/elections/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">election</a> integrity, Nick La Strada, has filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Denny Hoskins, alleging wrongful termination for raising concerns about Hoskins’s conduct. La Strada claims he was fired for having “too much integrity” after being gradually stripped of access to the tools necessary for his job.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">La Strada, appointed by Hoskins in January 2025, served as the election integrity director for 15 months and was recognized for his compliance with the law. According to the lawsuit, La Strada was first denied access to the state’s voter registration system after reporting the improper use of public funds for political mail. He also intervened when Hoskins allegedly attempted to change a certified election result.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The lawsuit further claims that senior staff in Hoskins’s office attempted to fabricate a whistleblower submission using an IP scrambler and burner phone to submit false evidence in a federal Help America Vote Act lawsuit.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The case, <em><a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/missouri/mowdce/2:2025cv04257/187158/30/#:~:text=Kramer%20v.%20Hoskins%2C%20No.%202%3A2025cv04257%20%2D%20Document,denying%2024%20motion%20for%20leave%20to%20file%3B" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kramer v. Hoskins</a></em>, began after Constance Kramer filed a complaint alleging the state failed to maintain its voter database in compliance with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). A federal judge ruled in favor of Kramer, granting a preliminary injunction and ordering Hoskins to hold a hearing on the complaint.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">La Strada claims he was ordered to testify in the Kramer lawsuit but alleges that senior staff deactivated his access card to prevent him from doing so. He ultimately gained access to the building and testified, but was terminated four days later.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Emily Vernon, counsel for La Strada, stated, “In Missouri, no one is above the law – not even the Secretary of State.” She referenced a recent decision from the Missouri Supreme Court that found Hoskins in contempt for instructing officials to use a new congressional map for the November election, despite a legal dispute over which map should be used.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hoskins’s office has declined to comment on the ongoing litigation.</p>