Missouri House GOP removes indicted lawmaker from caucus, calls again for resignation

Rep. Patricia Derges, who has been charged in federal court with wire fraud and illegal prescriptions, has been removed from the House Republican Caucus, party leaders said Monday.

She faces mounting pressure to resign.

“Our leadership team and the members of our caucus strongly believe Representative Derges should resign her seat to focus on her family and her legal issues,” top House Republicans said in a statement. “The vote taken today in caucus is reflective of the incredibly serious nature of the federal charges filed against her and the fact these issues compromise her ability to serve her constituents effectively.”

The statement came from House Speaker Rob Vescovo of Arnold, Speaker Pro Temp John Wiemann of St. Charles and Majority Floor Leader Dean Plocher of St. Louis. They did not reveal the vote count for Derges’ removal.

Derges could not be reached at her House office, nor did her attorney return a call seeking comment. Her attorney, Stacie Bilyeu, has emphasized that she has not been found guilty of the charges.

Federal prosecutors last week unsealed a 20-count indictment against Derges, accusing her of marketing fake stem cell treatments at her southwest Missouri medical clinics, and pocketing nearly $200,000. She is also accused of writing illegal prescriptions and making false statements to federal agents.

Derges, an assistant physician, is a freshman Republican lawmaker from Nixa who won her seat last fall as federal agents were investigating the alleged scheme. She was sworn in just weeks before she was indicted in January, and turned herself in last week.

The backlash was swift.

Vescovo removed her from her committee assignments within a day of the charges being made public, and called for her resignation last Wednesday.

Bilyeu last week said Derges had “no plans to announce” a resignation at that time.