JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - The embattled chairman of the Missouri Republican Party gained some support Monday as police said law officers have no evidence of an anti-Semitic whispering campaign against a state auditor who killed himself, and a prominent GOP donor revised his recollection of hearing negative remarks about the auditor.
The twofold developments came as GOP Chairman John Hancock said he is weighing whether to remain in the job or resign following the Feb. 26 suicide of Auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican gubernatorial candidate who had claimed that Hancock was spreading false information about his religion.
Some Schweich supporters have called on Hancock to resign as party chairman, or for the state committee to remove him.
Hancock, who was elected as chairman Feb. 21, said Monday that he would step down only if the controversy damages his ability to raise money for the Republican Party or to continue working as a paid consultant for GOP candidates.
He added: "I've received a tremendous amount of support from the (Republican) state committee to continue on in this role."
Schweich shot himself at his Clayton home just minutes after telling an Associated Press reporter that he wanted to go public with allegations that Hancock had been telling people Schweich was Jewish. Schweich, who was Christian, also had expressed angst to friends over what he perceived to be an anti-Semitic whispering campaign.
Clayton Police Lt. Don Bass told KMOX radio that detectives have been conducting interviews and searching through Schweich's text messages, emails and voicemails.
Bass said "there's nothing to indicate a clear motive" and "there's no substance to the whispering campaign" based on evidence brought to the attention of police. He also said police have found no evidence that Schweich was the target of bullying, threats or blackmail.
Former U.S. Sen. John Danforth, an Episcopal priest who was Schweich's friend and political mentor, suggested during his funeral eulogy that Schweich had been driven to kill himself by political bullying and an anti-Semitic whispering campaign.
Last week, Republican businessman and donor David Humphreys became the first person to publicly assert he had heard Hancock mention that Schweich was Jewish. Humphreys had released an affidavit saying Hancock made the remark - with the implication that it was a negative attribute in a gubernatorial campaign - during a Nov. 24 meeting at his Joplin office.
On Monday, Humphreys released a revised affidavit stating the remark actually was made during a Sept. 12 meeting.
The date matters, because Hancock has said he once mistakenly believed Schweich was Jewish but that he never mentioned that to anyone after learning during a Nov. 14 conversation with Schweich that he actually he was Christian. Hancock has said it's possible he may have mentioned Schweich was Jewish before that date, though he has no specific recollection of doing so.
Hancock said Monday that he was grateful for both the police statement and Humphreys' revised account.
At the time of his death, Schweich was campaigning for governor against Republican Catherine Hanaway, a former Missouri House Speaker and U.S. attorney. Hancock had done political research for Hanaway's campaign, but Hancock said his efforts were focused on the likely Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Attorney General Chris Koster, not on Schweich.