Sheena Greitens, the ex-wife of Missouri Senate GOP candidate Eric Greitens (R), said Tuesday that “I stand by my sworn statements” alleging domestic abuse against her ex-husband as he continues to deny her claims — and to claim the abuse allegations are simply part of a conspiracy to oust him from the race driven by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).
A day after her domestic abuse allegations against the Missouri Senate candidate surfaced in court records, Sheena Greitens said in a statement that her sworn accusations are true and were filed as part of an ongoing child custody dispute in Missouri state court. In her affidavit, Sheena Greitens detailed a series of disturbing allegations against her ex-husband, including accusing Eric Greitens of physical violence towards her and their children. She described her ex-husband’s behavior as “unstable and coercive” toward the end of their marriage.
Sheena Greitens also pushed back on her ex-husband’s conspiracy theory, stating that she did not discuss the contents of her affidavit with anyone outside of her counsel and her immediate family.
The Tuesday statement combats her ex-husband’s bizarre public claims that the allegations are part of a political hit job meant to topple his career — and led by none other than the minority leader.
During an appearance on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast hours after news of the allegations broke on Monday, Eric Greitens denied his ex-wife’s allegations. He also vowed to oppose McConnell’s speakership if he wins the GOP primary and general election in the fall, landing himself in the Senate.
The former governor and Senate candidate then outlined his conspiracy theory, suggesting that McConnell is somehow among a group of “political operatives” who are trying to launch a smear campaign against him with these recent allegations.
Speaking to Bannon, Eric Greitens spun the tale: He claimed that he learned his ex-wife was in Washington, D.C. this past week, allegedly meeting up with “political operatives” just before news of the allegations came to light. He then argued that the supposed “political operatives” coordinated with McConnell’s supporters to publicize the allegations.
“You’ll be able to connect the dots directly with Mitch McConnell, directly to the RINO swamp who always does this, this is their game,” Eric Greitens told Bannon.
McConnell has not responded to questions about the allegations against Eric Greitens, but a handful of Senate Republicans swiftly condemned the Republican candidate, with some calling on him to drop out of the GOP Senate race.
While it is true that McConnell, as a top Republican, often plays a key role in recruiting candidates ahead of a promising election cycles for Republicans (and McConnell’s efforts to recruit successful governors have been dealt three high-profile blows so far this year), Eric Greitens’ allegations are entirely unsubstantiated. They do, however, seem tailor-made for an audience of one: Donald Trump.
Eric Greitens has stated his opposition to McConnell’s speakership for some time. And it all comes as he seeks former President Trump’s endorsement of his Senate run.
Trump has been on a crusade for the past year to oust McConnell, following the Senate minority leader’s condemnation of Trump’s failure to call off the mob of his supporters who stormed the Capitol last year on the day of the joint session of Congress certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
And Eric Greitens’ vocal opposition to McConnell could hold some sway with Trump, who has yet to officially endorse any candidate in the Missouri Senate GOP primary. The former president reportedly met with Eric Greitens privately at Mar-a-Lago earlier this month after promoting an article Greitens wrote for Breitbart News last fall, urging McConnell’s ouster as leader. Eric Greitens also reportedly scored tickets into a Trump-hosted private reception after tweeting about McConnell.
One other Trump-endorsed Senate candidate, Pennsylvania’s Sean Parnell, dropped out of his race after losing a custody battle amid allegations he abused his ex-wife.
