KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Missouri House of Representatives will continue to investigate Republican Rep. Rick Roeber, who is accused of of sexually and physically abusing his children years before.
On Thursday, the House voted to continue investigating the allegations against Roeber.
“We have always placed our trust in the bipartisan House Ethics Committee and followed its recommendations, and we fully support the committee’s decision to pursue its investigation of Rick Roeber to conclusion," Missouri House Minority Leader Crystal Quade said in a statement. "The House has a duty to secure whatever justice it can for his adult children, who courageously made public the allegations of abuse by their father despite the great emotional pain of reliving their trauma, and protect other children from enduring similar abuse. To fulfil that duty, the House cannot allow Roeber to simply walk away.”
On Tuesday, Roeber announced he would resign on Friday, but didn't cite any of the allegations from his children as the reason for stepping down.
Instead, Roeber said he made the decision because he and his fiance would be moving out of state to be closer to family.
He also said his mother is in a memory care unit in the state where he and his family plan to move.
"Thank you for this incredible opportunity to serve in the People’s House during the 2021 legislative session," Roeber said Tuesday in a statement. "My desire was to only continue Representative Rebecca Roeber’s legacy regarding school choice and to memorialize her legacy. I hope that I have accomplished these by my efforts this year."
Roeber represented the 34th District, which includes part of Lee's Summit and Greenwood in Jackson County.
