ST. LOUIS — A judge on Thursday cited improper fundraising emails by Circuit Attorney Kimberly Gardner’s campaign in disqualifying Garden and her office from prosecuting a gun case against Mark McCloskey, who defended himself by pointing a rifle at rioters attempt to storm his St. Louis home in June.

The the judge’s order by clicking here.

Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II cited two fundraising emails that Gardner’s reelection campaign sent in response to political attacks before and after she charged Mark and Patricia McCloskey with felony gun crimes in July. The judge said the email raised the appearance that Gardner “initiated a criminal prosecution for political purposes.”

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